Description

Comforting, charming and hilarious, Yours Cheerfully is the tonic we’ve all been waiting for, from AJ Pearce, the beloved author of Dear Mrs Bird.

‘Loved. Every. Word.’ – Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

London, September 1941. For plucky, determined Emmy Lake, working at Woman’s Friend magazine has become everything she dreamed, especially since the departure of the magazine’s formidable editor, Henrietta Bird. Now Emmy really can get on and Do Her Bit.

When the Ministry of Information calls on Woman’s Friend to help recruit female supporters to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled, but soon she and best friend Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the real challenges that women war workers face. Suddenly Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma: should she carry out her duty or stand by her friends?

‘Absolutely lovely!’ – Marian Keyes
‘Buoyant . . . a tonic in testing times’ – Mail on Sunday
‘A brilliant follow up to Dear Mrs Bird’ – Clare Mackintosh
‘Full of wit, friendship and the uplifting knowledge that when people come together, great changes can be made’ – Katie Fforde

Publisher Review

Buoyant and bubbly, a tonic in testing times -- Eithne Farry * Mail on Sunday * Yours Cheerfully is as sweet, heartwarming and uplifting as the first book. Absolutely lovely! And if you haven't read Dear Mrs Bird yet, do so, without delay! -- Marian Keyes In this beautifully observed and touching tale, AJ Pearce captures the wartime spirit perfectly . . . Yours Cheerfully is a delight from start to finish -- Emma Lee-Potter * Sunday Express * At last, something to look forward to! A new book by AJ Pearce is a guaranteed delight! -- Annie Barrows, author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society A delightful & poignant story of courage, friendship & love on the Home Front at the height of World War II, and every bit as funny, heartwarming, & touching as Dear Mrs Bird * Grazia * Full of good-spirited humour from the quirky to the laugh out loud, combined with heart rending and poignant moments. The sadness and loss of war are beautifully set against the strength of women, their friendships, and their love. Wonderful -- Dinah Jefferies Uplifting * the i * Yours Cheerfully: the best possible antidote for the blahs, the doldrums, all slumps, all dumps, but also effective against letdowns and general malaise. Loved. Every. Word. -- Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry Batten down the hatches and disappear into this wonderful world of yesteryear. I thought Dear Mrs Bird was unbeatable but I was wrong. Yours Cheerfully is FABULOUS -- Milly Johnson Filled with humour, heart & poignancy * Good Housekeeping * A delightful and poignant story of courage, friendship and love on the Home Front at the height of World War II, and every bit as funny, heartwarming, and touching as Dear Mrs Bird * Grazia, Best Books of 2021 * Yours Cheerfully is pure pleasure. Old chums Emmy and Bunty give us a proper comfort-read of a novel brimming with courage, vim, good humour, and above all the healing power of friendship. It's wonderful -- Emma Stonex This sequel to Dear Mrs Bird is everything you'd expect . . . A testament to the strength of women and their friends * Woman's Weekly * Full of pluck, humour and make-do-and-mend, Pearce's novels are a comfort and joy * Daily Mail * 'Once again, AJ Pearce has provided us with a beautifully escapist read - Yours Cheerfully is a balm for the soul in these troubling times. I adore Emmy, Bunty, Mr Collins and the gang and it was a treat to be transported back into their company. Uplifting, funny and warm - just the ticket!' -- Tracy Rees A joyous story of friendship, courage and love * Independent * Yours Cheerfully is the perfect pick-me-up for these post-pandemic-y times * Red * Yours Cheerfully is such a tonic - as comforting and uplifting as an old MGM movie. Just what the nation needs to boost our spirits! So much fun and a breath of fresh air! I loved every minute -- Tor Udall, author of A Thousand Paper Birds Yours Cheerfully is an absolute joy and the perfect novel for this moment. Like Emmy herself, the sequel to Dear Mrs Bird is bursting with good humour and kindness. I loved it -- Shelley Harris I adored AJ Pearce's Dear Mrs Bird and this is the brilliant sequel, so I am indeed cheerful -- Jill Mansell Yours Cheerfully insists, gently and amiably, on the power of compassion * Sunday Telegraph, Book of the Week * This heart-cheering read will give you a real lift * Fabulous Magazine * Our plucky heroine Emmeline Lake is back in the sequel to one of my favourite novels, Dear Mrs Bird. It's full of the cheerful bravery and good humour that makes AJ Pearce's writing so special, with punch-the-air moments set against the sadness and loss of war. I gobbled up Yours Cheerfully and finished it with the feeling that the world is a wonderful place, really -- Julie Cohen, author of The Two Lives of Louis and Louise Highlighting the strength of women, it's a tonic of a read . . . A book that will have you on your feet parading victory signs, it's warm and cosy, transporting you back in time and enveloping you like a big hug * My Weekly * Yours Cheerfully is full of wit, friendship and the uplifting knowledge that when people come together, great changes can be made. I absolutely loved it! -- Katie Fforde Brimming with charm, wit, and poignancy, Yours Cheerfully is a wartime story of women's strength and friendship that touches deeply and shines with heart. Emmy Lake is a character for the ages -- Jennifer Rosner, author of The Yellow Bird Sings A brilliant follow up to Dear Mrs Bird -- Clare Mackintosh, author of I See You Yours Cheerfully is a joyful world I happily escaped into. Engrossing, engaging and charming. I finished reading with a smile, ready for anything -- Ericka Waller, author of Dog Days Yours Cheerfully is a triumph! Warm, moving, and funny, AJ Pearce brilliantly conjures the resilience of the human spirit and Blitz togetherness without ever slipping into sentimentality. Genius! -- Jane Wenham-Jones I devoured Yours Cheerfully. It has bone-deep charm, a sense of the ridiculous and cunning beguilement . . . it will make a lot of readers happy -- Elizabeth Buchan An absolute delight! I loved Dear Mrs Bird and was thrilled to spend more time with Emmy and Bunty in Yours Cheerfully. AJ Pearce shines a light on the hardships that women factory workers faced during World War II, an echo to the plight of working mothers today. Endearing, poignant, and relevant, this uplifting novel is a treat! -- Janet Skeslien Charles, author of The Paris Library I loved Pearce's debut, Dear Mrs Bird, and this is the charming sequel, which continues the adventures of aspiring journalist Emmeline Lake now that the formidable Mrs Bird has departed Woman's Friend magazine . . . A celebration of female friendship and solidarity in the toughest of times -- Alice O'Keeffe * Bookseller, Editor's Choice * In this uplifting sequel to Dear Mrs Bird, the Ministry of Information calls on young journalist Emmy to do her bit for the war effort in a story of female solidarity * The i * 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 [Dear Mrs Bird]. 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 * Publishers Weekly * Pearce captures the spirit and hopefulness of those left at home during war, and readers will delight in this second chance to ride along with Emmy * Booklist *