BOOK REVIEWS Courtesy of Beaverdale Books
‘The Postmistress’
By Sarah Blake
Amy Einhorn Books
Pub Date: 2/09/10
$25.95
326 pp
“The Postmistress” is a riveting story of three women thrust into the realities of war and heartbreak. Frankie Bard is an overseas correspondent reporting on the war. Her crackling correspondence brings the stories of war to the Cape Cod town of Franklin, Mass. Her daily reports of the bombings around London are harsh reminders that war is looming closer to the United States.
Iris hears Bard’s reports nightly and fears the war is only months away from the shores of the United States. Iris is the postmistress of Franklin. She delivers the mail and keeps the secrets of the townspeople she sees every day. Iris has a secret of her own as she feels drawn to Harry, a watchman who keeps watch over the shores of Franklin.
Another pair of Bard’s listeners is Will and Emma Fitch. They have recently married and Will feels drawn overseas to help the wounded. That is Emma’s worst fear. He promises within six months he will return, but she has a feeling that he will never come back home.
What happens next brings all three women together in a shocking way. Frankie and Iris both deliver the news to people who need to hear it and Emma’s fear is receiving the news she doesn’t want to hear. “The Postmistress” is a story that reveals everyday happenings even in the midst of a war. CV — Review by Michelle Pritchard
