Three strong female characters whose lives are intertwined, two geographic locations (a small town on Cape Cod and London) with the backdrop of the early days of World War II--these are the key components of Sarah Blake’s debut novel, The Postmistress. Iris James is the postmistress in Franklin, Massachusetts who manages the small town post office with great care and diligence. She follows the rules, maintains order, and assures that the important business of letters coming and going during wartime is carried out flawlessly. Emma Trask, the wife of the town’s only doctor, is distraught when her husband volunteers to serve in a military hospital in London, in an attempt to atone for a tragic event in his medical practice back home. She listens to radio reports from London filed by Frankie Bard who works with Edward R. Murrow covering the war. Bard rides the trains during the Blitz to gather stories of real people, bringing unbearable details to her listeners.

Blake has written the best kind of historical fiction – the kind that powerfully evokes the period, provides fascinating historical detail, and creates memorable characters. At the heart of The Postmistress are compelling questions of honesty in wartime, redemption through acts of compassion, and the effect of war on human behavior.

Don’t be fooled by the cover, which might make you think this is a fluffy romance. The Postmistress is a story with depth and importance. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. When I was reading it, I didn’t want it to end. ~Wendee