The Postmistress

Synopsis(courtesy of Barnes And Noble)

Those who carry the truth sometimes bear a terrible burden...

Filled with stunning parallels to today's world, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war.

On the eve of the United States entrance into World War II in 1940, Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, a small town on Cape Cod, does the unthinkable: She doesn't deliver a letter.

In London, American radio gal Frankie Bard is working with Edward R. Murrow, reporting on the Blitz. One night in a bomb shelter, she meets a doctor from Cape Cod with a letter in his pocket, a letter Frankie vows to deliver when she returns from Germany and France, where she is to record the stories of war refugees desperately trying to escape.

The residents of Franklin think the war can't touch them- but as Frankie's radio broadcasts air, some know that the war is indeed coming. And when Frankie arrives at their doorstep, the two stories collide in a way no one could have foreseen.

The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during war-time, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.

My review:

The above synopsis is not what is written on my arc book jacket flap. The book jacket description led me to believe that book would be about what happens when a letter is not delivered. That may have happened in the story but I'm not sure if that was the main idea in the story. There was a lot going on in this book. I did find the first chapters tough to get through. The story and transitions did not flow well for me at all. Then about chapter 6 it all came together for me. I did enjoy the story then. The 3 main female characters all seem to have their own story going on. Iris is the quirky postmaster in Franklin Massachusetts, who I found to be very odd. Emma is the new wife of the town's doctor and seems like a duck out of water. She has a tough time fitting in. Frankie is reporting on the war over in London. She is probably my favorite character in the book. She changes and grows as a result of what she witnesses in Europe. In the end, the 3 characters and their stories intertwine and then the story makes sense. Sarah Blake did a fine job describing what was going on over in Europe as well as what the feeling was over here in the United States at the time. If you like historical fiction and you can get through the first 6 chapters the story is worth reading. I can't help but wonder if the description of the book had been different if I would have liked the book more.

I received this book courtesy of Barnes And Noble First Look Book Club.