"An utter delight of a read as we step back in time to the extraordinary efforts on the home front from the offices of magazine Woman’s Friend"
The third book in the delightful Emmy Lake Chronicles, Mrs Porter Calling is an absolute gem.
With the whole gamut of human emotion on display, of humour, joy, friendship, love, grief and despair, it has such a classic feel that you are taken right back to London in 1943. You can’t help but fall into the pages, into the time with AJ Pearce’s descriptive language as you laugh and cry with her story.
Emmy Lake is the agony aunt at successful magazine Woman’s Friend, doing a grand job of supporting the war effort and being there for their readers in need. The team that Editor Guy Collins has built is a family however new owner the Honourable Mrs Cressida Porter has some ideas of her own and in true Devil Wears Prada style she tries to put her own stamp on the publication.
Every bit as heartwarming as Dear Mrs Bird and Yours Cheerfully this is another celebration of female friendship, a testament to the strength of women and the importance of supporting each other, even in the most challenging of times.
You shout for Emmy and her co-conspirators every step of the way on their journey and can’t fail to be moved by their courage and bravery and standing up for what they believe in. It’s a tonic. A joy. A step back in time. I devoured every page and call for more Emmy Lake, please.
| Primary Genre | Historical Fiction |
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Closing date: 02/08/2026
Mrs Porter Calling is the uplifting and heartwarming third historical novel from AJ Pearce, the beloved author of Dear Mrs Bird.
'Brilliant, utterly charming and uplifting' - Jill Mansell, author of Rumour Has It
'A pleasure you'd be daft to deny yourself' - Mail on Sunday
'Heartbreaking yet feel-good' - Woman & Home
London, 1943.
Emmy Lake is most definitely Doing Her Bit for the war effort. The readers of her magazine, Woman's Friend, are facing the hardships of life on the Home Front and they need Emmy and her support more than ever. But when a glamorous new owner arrives at Woman's Friend, Emmy soon realizes that the Honourable Mrs Porter could destroy everything.
And then tragedy strikes. As Emmy's own happiness turns to devastation, she must ask herself if she can find the strength to keep going. Can she save the magazine so many people love? And can she weather her own heartbreak?
'If ever there was a book to cheer a heart, it's Mrs Porter Calling' - Milly Johnson, author of My One True North
'A winning combination of warmth, humour and a compelling story of the power of friendship' - Katie Fforde, author of Going Dutch
Mrs Porter Calling features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Historical romance, Romance in uniform, Romance: wholesome, Narrative theme: Love and relationships, Fiction, Romance / Relationship Stories, Fiction: narrative themes, Books of the Month, Recommendations
Mrs Porter Calling is available in Paperback, Hardback
Mrs Porter Calling was written by A. J. Pearce and published by Picador an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Mrs Porter Calling has 345 pages
Yes it is part of The Wartime Chronicles series
£8.99
