What I've Been Reading - Dear Mrs. Bird by A. J. Pearce

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  I felt as if I were in wartime London during the Blitz.  I simply couldn't put it down.   By turns funny, intense, engaging, sad, and ultimately, hopeful.  I'd like to read more about the characters the author created.  

The author was inspired by a chance discovery of a copy of a women's magazine from 1939 and its advice column.

Here's part of the book description on goodreads.com

"London 1940, bombs are falling. Emmy Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent seem suddenly achievable. But the job turns out to be typist to the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.

"Mrs. Bird is very clear: Any letters containing Unpleasantness—must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant letters from women who are lonely, may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men and found themselves in trouble, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write letters back to the women of all ages who have spilled out their troubles."