 |
| Credit: Jenny Smith |
AJ Pearce grew up in Hampshire, England. She studied at the University of Sussex and Northwestern University. A chance discovery of a 1939 women’s magazine became the inspiration for her series The Emmy Lake Chronicles, which also includes Dear Mrs. Bird and Yours Cheerfully. She lives in the south of England.
London, April 1943. Young Emmy Lake is doing her part in the war effort by spearheading the “Yours Cheerfully” column, a hugely popular advice column in Woman’s Friend magazine. The postbags are full, and Woman’s Friend is thriving. Cheered on by her best friend Bunty and missing her husband, Captain Charles Mayhew, as he’s away fighting, Emmy is dedicated to helping readers face the increasing challenges brought about by over three years of war.
But in Mrs. Porter Calling, Emmy’s world is turned upside down when glamorous socialite, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, becomes the new publisher of the magazine, and wants to change everything readers love. Aided by Mrs. Pye, a Paris-obsessed fashion editor with delusions of grandeur, and Small Winston, the grumpiest dog in London, Mrs. Porter fills the pages with expensive clothes and frivolous articles about her friends. Worst of all, she announces that she is cutting the “Yours Cheerfully” column as it's not the magazine’s responsibility to deal with the reader’s problems. Her vision for the publication’s future seems dire and Emmy becomes determined to fight back.
Emmy and her friends must find a way to save the magazine they love, but can they rescue Women’s Friend while juggling the real implications of war-torn London and personal tragedy?
Perfect for book clubs and fans of The Paris Library and Lessons in Chemistry, Mrs. Porter Calling, a standalone novel with continuing characters, is a beacon for anyone who’s ever experienced the frustration of a nasty boss and for those who’ve experienced loss, heartbreak, or hardship and found comfort in their chosen families. It’s all at once heartwarming, funny, and uplifting, and serves as a moving tribute to friendship.
“Clear a space on the shelf reserved for your favorite comfort books. Mrs. Porter Calling is the rare novel that manages to be deep as it is delightful. Funny, endearing, heartbreaking, and uplifting – it’s a thoroughly entrancing story about friendship, work, and finding the best in life, even during the worst of times.”
—Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair
I love it when readers say that my writing has made them laugh and cry, and that they feel as if the characters are real people. That’s a wonderful compliment.
If you could tell the debut novelist version of yourself one thing, what would it be?
Know your characters well enough and they’ll come up with story lines for you. That sounds a bit mad, but the better I know them the more I understand what they care about and what they’ll really fight for to make a good book.
If Mrs. Porter Calling was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Someone said to me the other day that Jenna Coleman would be wonderful as Emmy Lake which I think is a brilliant idea. Rachel Weisz would be perfect as Monica Edwards who is super cool and a mentor figure for Emmy. Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey and Luke Thompson would both be lovely as Charles, or if the film could wait a few years, his older brother Guy.
What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
100% Barbie. I loved it. We’re all going again this week.
If your life were a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Sir David Attenborough: “There, just visible in the distance as she eats a packet of chocolate chip cookies, is that most elusive animal of all – the author hiding from her editor having just missed a really important deadline.”
What is your favorite autumn beverage?
Hot chocolate in a huge mug with marshmallows on the top. Which in my house is totally acceptable during any season!
Thanks to AJ for visiting with us and to Scribner for sharing her book with our readers.
How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here.
Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
Listen to this book on Speechify!
9 comments:
I like People magazine.
Travel and Leisure.
HGTV Magazine
I don't have a favorite magazine. I used to like magazines but I found that they got too expensive and were often filled with tons of adverts. I figured I would be better off saving my money and just buying books.
I don't buy or read magazines.
I subscribe to both the Sacramento magazine and Preservation. Preservation is a magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. I like history and old architecture; so, I'm always reading about old homes and old architecture.
no fav
NMAI magazine
No longer read magazines.
Post a Comment