The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake

Reviewed by Brenda Seward

I hope those reading this column will bear with me while I give you another glimpse of a book not yet available. This week's selection will release in February 2010, and I promise it will be well worth the wait.

This book is a poignantly nostalgic look back at a time that was much simpler, but also incredibly complex. It was a time when images and sentiments were exchanged through words on a page, or a far away voice on the radio. It was a time just before the world changed forever. When I first read the synopsis for The Postmistress, I knew it would go to the top of my stack of “must read” advance copies.

The story begins in the fall of 1940, before the United States has fully awakened to what was going on in the rest of the world - a time when Pearl Harbor was just some distant post in the Pacific few had ever heard of.

The story takes place both in London, England (during the peak of the Blitz) and a small town in Cape Cod, from the perspective of three vastly different women. Of the three, the two main perspectives come from the title character: Iris James, the postmistress of the small Cape Cod town of Franklin, Massachusetts, and Frankie Bard, a “radio gal” reporting with Edward R. Murrow from London during the Blitz. The other view comes from Emma Fitch, a shy new bride in a new town. She has married Dr. Will Fitch, a returning native to Franklin. Dr. Fitch has a past to overcome - a past of which his new wife is unaware - and all the accompanying emotional baggage to go along with it.

Frankie Bard gives us an unvarnished view of London during the time of the Blitz, one that is daring and heartbreakingly poignant. Not only do we get a glimpse of what it was like for those living moment to moment, knowing that at any time a bomb could alter their world forever; we also see their unerring desire to try to wrench whatever normality possible from a horribly abnormal environment. In addition, we see how ignorant the rest of the world - especially the U.S. - was to the plight of Jews in Europe at his time. When a colleague of Frankie’s (who was looking into this) dies in a bombing, Frankie takes on her friend’s mission and begins the daunting task of documenting the story of Jewish families trying to flee Europe. Little does she know the impact she has had on listeners across the ocean in America or the future impact she will have.

In the small town of Franklin, Iris does her best to carry out her duties as postmistress - a responsibility she takes quite seriously. With the world outside seeming to be coming apart at the seams, Iris tries her best to hold on to the order and discipline of her duties and how the execution of those duties affect the people in Franklin. There is one instance in particular when Iris becomes conflicted over her responsibilities, and that conflict adds yet another layer of texture to an already intriguing and complex tale.

The Postmistress is certainly a story of another, perhaps simpler, time, but it has an immediacy and relevance in our time as well. It is the story of the small moments that can affect us all in huge ways, of the impact that a moment of inattention or a waylaid letter can have. It tells us that it is not the large moments that make up our lives, but very often the small, seemingly insignificant things that determine our path. It is a story that will hold you, move you, and stay with you long after you have turned the last page.

Amy Einhorn Books, a member of the Penguin Group, will release The Postmistress in February 2010.

To add this book to your wish list call Simple Pleasures at 804-368-7736 or e-mail them at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Review by Brenda Seward, Owner, Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts

Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts is a family owned independent bookstore, owned and managed by my three daughters and myself. Our focus is toward women, while seeking to offer a little bit of something for everyone. From books, chocolate, unique custom gift bags and note cards to tea towels and bath products, Simple Pleasures offers just that - the simple pleasures of life.

All titles reviewed here are available at Simple Pleasures Books & Gifts in Ashland, VA (804-378-7736) or online at http://www.alibris.com/stores/spbooks1.