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  • Dear Mrs. Bird

  • Written by: AJ Pearce
  • Narrated by: Anna Popplewell
  • Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (84 ratings)

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Dear Mrs. Bird cover art

Dear Mrs. Bird

Written by: AJ Pearce
Narrated by: Anna Popplewell
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Publisher's Summary

"A marvelous treat. Charming and delightful." (Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina)

An irresistible debut set in London during World War II about an adventurous young woman who becomes a secret advice columnist - a warm, funny, and enormously moving story for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Lilac Girls.

London, 1940. Emmeline 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 suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed but gamely bucks up and buckles down.

Mrs. Bird is very clear: Letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, 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 back to the readers who have poured out their troubles.

Prepare to fall head over heels for Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, who are gutsy and spirited, even in the face of a terrible blow. The irrepressible Emmy keeps writing letters in this hilarious and enormously moving tale of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and ordinary people in extraordinary times.

©2018 AJ Pearce (P)2018 Simon & Schuster

What listeners say about Dear Mrs. Bird

Average Customer Ratings
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Back in Time

This novel took me back in time. I enjoyed that even though it was a fictional tale, it could have been the real story of anyone in that time. The narrator was amazing and I appreciate a British reader for a Britain based novel.

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3 people found this helpful

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A delight

Not something I would typically read but found the story engaging... the characters were well developed and found that I cared about their stories. A quick read that left me saddened when the novel ended. Also, The narration ( performance ) was the best of any audible book I have listened to.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Carry on

Made me realize the day to day goings on during the Blitz. Amazing the British managed to Carry on, Stiff upper lip. & all that. Not sure how I would of managed. Hope I never have to find out!

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  • LK
  • 2022-12-14

Dear Mrs Bird

This delightful book is both sincere and has periods of light hearted gaffes. I highly recommend this read/ listen.

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Light interesting read

Thoroughly enjoyed this story. I would have loved for it to go on and hear more about the characters futures. It is one of those stories where you just fall for the characters.

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If you like 'Call the Midwife'

I loved this WWII novel! It was the perfect blend of friendship, love, heroism, and London during the war. The main character is extremely likeable and relatable, one can't help cheering her on.

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Loved it!

The story itself is quirky and humourous, yet we get a glimpse of real life problems that were going on at that time. I have a passion for WWII books and this one is definitely top drawer. It is a unique point of view of war-torn London and the ordinary people just trying to keep life going. Anna Popplewell was the perfect choice to narrate this story and this character.

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Transforming story

This book transports the reader back in time with such great accuracy and emotion. I felt apart of their lives.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Dear Mrs. Bird .. Delightful

What a delightful and informative read.. Anna Popplewell did the story justice. Having grown up in England after the war I could feel the emotion of the characters through dialogue and circumstance of the era. A must read for any WW11 enthusiasts.

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Wanted More!

Such a good book and great narrating. I have recommended this book to family friends and strangers. Thank you #Audible1, I get something I love, books to get me through doing things I don’t love, like housework,

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  • Sara
  • 2018-07-06

A Happy Romp Through The Blitz

I absolutely hated every aspect of this inane representation of life in London during WWII. The narration was so false and forced I was sure it was an American doing a phony over the top British accent. After some research I found that Popplewell was indeed an English actress and had played the role of Susan in The Chronicles of Narnia. Go figure. Not sure what happened here but the narration, in my opinion, was overblown.

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18 people found this helpful

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  • Species 8472
  • 2018-09-25

Keep going...it's worth it

I bought this book for its title (I have a friend named Mrs. Bird). The beginning felt a little slow and repetitive, and more lighthearted than I'd expected the book to be. Take heart—it picks up. And once the ball gets rolling, it's captivating. I really loved the book by the end. It's worth the read.

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13 people found this helpful

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  • Candace Loftus
  • 2019-01-11

Delightfully Serious Historical Fiction

This book is designed to charm you while causing you to gain a deeper understanding of this critical time in England’s History. A time when the phrase “stiff upper lip” really meant something. A little slow at the beginning until at the end you want to run out and buy a copy of “Woman’s Life”.

Candace Loftus

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10 people found this helpful

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  • Kathy
  • 2018-07-07

I felt I was in England

during the bombing of London in WWII. The story, many moments amusing and many moments poignant, will be with me as I consider my easy life and deal with my minor daily challenges. Thanks fir the loving care in the writing, the outstanding narration and the thoughtful production!

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5 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Jeanie
  • 2018-08-01

Young adult, but engaging

I’m ambivalent about this book. I nearly dropped it early on, as its main characters seem silly and the plot generally lacks depth. But as I persevered, I was drawn into the wartime world and the portrayal of young women struggling to cope with its challenges. The British cult of propriety was also something I came to contemplate. Some characters grew more interesting over the course of the book, while others stayed maddeningly one-dimensional. This is by no means deep literature, but by the end, I found it hard to put down. A beach read type of book, best enjoyed as I did, in Audible, for the excellent performances of the narrator.

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  • Anne
  • 2018-08-13

Unbearably tedious

Dear Mrs. Bird is ludicrously predictable in plot and unbearably juvenile in tone, rather like a Girl Guide story of a plucky young woman. I suppose the narrator is trying to do justice to the cliched material, but I found I could not stand listening to it.

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  • Jarrett
  • 2021-11-09

Elegant and soothing, like a hot cup of darjeeling

This book was the perfect rough day palate cleanser; from the wholesome friendships, to the grit of war, this book was a lovely marriage of the stuff that makes life, well, life.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • N. Dandridge
  • 2019-09-21

An easy read

A bit trite, couldn’t get too attached to the characters, predictable. The writing is just OK. But if you want an easy no brainer to take a break from heavier stuff, this might be a good choice. Definitely chick-lit. The narration is good.

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  • Jennifer G
  • 2018-10-20

It's a little boring

I gave this book over 1.5 hrs of listening time. I found it boring and didn't keep my interest. Good luck!

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  • Syd Young
  • 2018-09-08

All the Feels- not the cliche feels but the Real Feels

I thought this book would be entertaining, and it was. But I didn’t expect to fall so in love with it. It started out with a light hearted voice that I find I need in this post Trump world, this world that is so different from any I’ve seen, and yet nothing like that of the sacrifices of WWII. I thought I would read it and enjoy a silly advice columnist and escape for a bit.

I wasn’t prepared to lose my heart to these people, but I did. Oh my goodness, I think the laughter upfront helped the tears that came in the end. Tears for men and women who struggled through a time I still can’t believe, a time I’ll never be able to wrap my head around. This book took these heroes, these brave men and women, and showed them to me in a different light, I’ll be thinking of them for some time to come. Dear dear book, author, and narrator, thank you.

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2 people found this helpful