
Have you ever had the experience of having a friend recommend a movie, a restaurant, or a book, and you end up a little disappointed, not because your experience is bad, but because it is less than you were led to expect?
The Postmistress is a historical novel which explores the early period of World War II- early for the United States of America at least, because it preceded Pearl Harbor and our entry into the conflict. There is a young woman, Franky Bard, whose idealism and desire to make a difference in the world lead her into the radio business. She reports from London during the Blitz with Edward R. Murrow, a real historical figure. And there is another woman, a bit older, who takes the job of Postmaster in a little town in coastal Massachusetts. We see people trying to come to terms with approaching disaster through denial (it’s all random, we can’t change any of it), through over-reaction, through emotional and moral commitment, or through avoidance.
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