Yours Cheerfully

In the enjoyable second installment to The Emmy Lake Chronicles (following Dear Mrs. Bird), journalist Emmy and her “hundred-mile-a-minute mind” tackle trouble on the English home front during WWII. While Emmy juggles her new position an advice column, volunteer shifts with the Fire Watch, and her fiancé’s paltry leave from his new station outside of London, she lands a recurring magazine feature on women working for the war effort. But as she starts peeling back the chipper veneer of the government’s gung-ho recruitment messaging, Emmy realizes her fellow gals are facing difficult working conditions at the new factories supporting the war effort in ways the public doesn’t realize. Of course, the stern disapproval of factory directors and under-secretaries isn’t enough to keep Emmy from giving it her best, even if taking a stand puts her professional reputation, her friends, and even her wedding day at risk. Pearce packs in lighthearted banter and depictions of the good-spirited citizens of London working together to survive the war, returning readers to the delightful milieu of the previous book. With big stakes and formidable opponents, this exciting saga is a fruitful exploration of the solidarity among women in times of grief, love, and hardship. (Aug.)