The Postmistress

The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake
 
Sarah Blake, who interestingly holds a PhD in Victorian literature, has written a charming and winning story that takes place immediately prior to the entry of the United States into World War II. Her diverse characters are each affected by the war going on in Europe even though American troops are not yet engaged in the fighting. Iris James is the postmistress of the small town of Franklin, MA on the tip of Cape Cod. She knows all that goes on in Franklin and follows the lives of some interesting characters. Among them is the mysterious, seemingly German immigrant whom many view with suspicion. Then there is the self-appointed watch dog who patrols the Atlantic shore along Cape Cod for enemy submarines. Another leading character in Frankie Bard, a reporter who works with Edward R. Murrow in covering the war in Europe and broadcasts to her American audience. Blake skillfully brings the lives of these diverse characters together as she writes about the European theater of war as seen through Bard's eyes as well as how Americans on Cape Cod deal with the growing menace of war. The Postmistress is an engaging and enjoyable book.
-Roy