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    The Postmistress
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    The Postmistress
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    The Postmistress
    Audiobook10 hours

    The Postmistress

    Written by Sarah Blake

    Narrated by Orlagh Cassidy

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Those who carry the truth sometimes bear a terrible burden...

    Filled with stunning parallels to today's world, The Postmistress is a sweeping novel about the loss of innocence of two extraordinary women-and of two countries torn apart by war.

    On the eve of the United States's entrance into World War II in 1940, Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, a small town on Cape Cod, does the unthinkable: She doesn't deliver a letter.

    In London, American radio gal Frankie Bard is working with Edward R. Murrow, reporting on the Blitz. One night in a bomb shelter, she meets a doctor from Cape Cod with a letter in his pocket, a letter Frankie vows to deliver when she returns from Germany and France, where she is to record the stories of war refugees desperately trying to escape.

    The residents of Franklin think the war can't touch them- but as Frankie's radio broadcasts air, some know that the war is indeed coming. And when Frankie arrives at their doorstep, the two stories collide in a way no one could have foreseen.

    The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during war­time, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateFeb 9, 2010
    ISBN9781101154618
    Unavailable
    The Postmistress
    Author

    Sarah Blake

    Sarah Blake is the author of poetry collections In Springtime, and epic poem of survival with a gender-neutral protagonist; Let's Not Live On Earth, featuring the long form science fiction poem The Starship and Mr. West an unauthorized lyric biography of Kanye West. Blake's debut novel, Naamah, a provocative imagining of the story of Noah, won a National Jewish Book Award for debut fiction. Her second novel, Clean Air, was published in 2023. Blake has taught at the College of New Jersey, the University of Texas and Penn State, where she was co-coordinator of the MFA Reading Series. She holds a MA in English from the University of Texas and a MFA from Penn State.

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    Reviews for The Postmistress

    3.5/5

    1,246 ratings178 reviews

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    • 3/5
      "The Postmistress" is a great historical book that alternates between a small town near Cape Cod and London in the early 1940s. Its main protagonists are three very different women - Emma, the doctor's young wife who is shy and timid, Iris who runs her post office with rigid precision and then there is Francis, a radio reporter who broadcasts the nightly bombings in London and the horrors occurring all over Europe. However, fate and a letter bring the three women together.Whilst I enjoyed the stories of the women, I found it difficult to really empathise with Iris and Emma was too fragile for my liking. My favourite character, by far, was Francis. I admired her courage, strength and tenaciousness as she reports the blitz on London then travels on trains throughout Europe collecting the voices of Jews as they flee their homelands looking for refuge. The stories are heartbreaking and Francis' message to America is 'pay attention' as she urges them to join the war. Although I didn't really like how the book started and found that it ended too abruptly, I did enjoy what was in between.
    • 4/5
      As I listen to this I realize I have read this before. This is a very good book. In 1940, Frankie Bard goes back and forth across Europe interviewing the refugees and trying to get their stories on air to America. Emma Finch is married to a doctor who feels he needs to go over to the war and help out after losing one of his patients. Then there is Iris James, the postmistress of Franklin, MA where Emma lives. Slowly their lives unfold as they get closer to having their lives meet. Very beautifully written and heartbreaking to listen to. Well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      I'll be looking forward to checking out Sarah Blake's second book. As for this one, well, somewhere in there was a good book. The individual stories and characters were interesting but the whole book just didn't come together very well. In London, during the Blitz, a female radio reporter rides the trains talking with refugees. Across the ocean in Cape Cod, a small town doctor struggles to redeem himself and a postmistress makes a choice. I'd say read it if you think the story sounds interesting but I wouldn't go out of my way.
    • 5/5
      In 1940, Frankie Bard, 'girl reporter', was reporting from London, alongside Edward R. Murrow. The U.S. had not yet entered the war. Among those listening were the residents of a small town on Cape Cod. Iris is the postmaster in Franklin and takes her job of delivering the mail very seriously.. Will is the local physician and Emma is his new bride.Frankie feels that the real story is not being reported on; nothing is being said about Jews being forced to leave their homes. Her journalist friend, Harriet Mendelsohn, receives letters from Jewish relatives telling her some of what is going on. Then Harriet is killed during one of the bombing raids from the Nazis and Frankie tries to find ways to tell their stories. The author expertly conveys the fear and uncertainty of Americans worried that their sons will be sent off to war, and their limited knowledge of what is happening to the Jews in Europe.Back in Franklin, Will loses a mother during childbirth, and after listening to Frankie on the radio, decides he can be more help working in hospitals in London. Emma thinks he is going out of guilt for something that wasn't his fault, but she lets him go. She doesn't tell him that she is pregnant. Will asks Iris to hold a letter for him, to give to Emma if he is killed, knowing Iris will watch over her.Several months later, Iris is sorting the mail and does the unthinkable. She opens a letter, reads it, and decides not to send it on. In London, Frankie gets permission to go to France and rides the trains recording the stories of the various people fleeing Germany and France.Frankie's journey eventually leads her to Franklin, with another letter in her pocket that she has vowed to deliver.Sarah Blake's book is beautifully written and has successfully captured life in small town America at the start of the Second World War.. I would definitely recommend this one.
    • 3/5
      This book started out holding my interest, but then I found that the characters just weren't developed enough for me to care about them. I did read it till the end, but found it a bit dissappointing after all the hype in the press.
    • 2/5
      There were a few interesting parts, but too many things that just didn't hang together. Why would the postmistress go through the ordeal at the doctor's office for Harry Vale? Why would Will just up and leave his orphaned wife? Why wouldn't Frankie give the big news right away? There are much better books set in WWII to read than this.
    • 4/5
      "What would you think of a postmistress who chose not to deliver the mail?" With this question asked at the outset, the stage is set for a terrific war story told both from the perspective of the home front (Cape Cod) and overseas (London, with a bit of time on the continent). I found the title to be unfortunate for several reasons, chief among them the fact that I didn't find the postmistress to be the centerpiece of the story. Not that the story of Iris James isn't interesting, but it pales in comparison to the story of Frankie Bard, war correspondent and radio underling of Ed Murrow, reporting from overseas in late 1940 and into 1941. A woman who sees too much pain in the faces and stories of Jews trying to flee ahead of Hitler. A woman who begins to question whether what she does matters to anyone, and who worries that no one is listening. In the end, her shell shock and her knowledge of the fate of a particular American man lead her to Cape Cod, where her life crosses paths with the postmistress and others in some expected and unexpected ways. In retrospect, the title of the book and the book jacket (purple fonts and a purple flower?) combine to do it a tremendous disservice, as this is a story that will appeal to both women and men, but many men--including myself, at first--will take one look at the cover and shy away from what appears to be "chick lit." But make no mistake; this is an impressive novel and an author who hits all the right notes before faltering a bit at the end. It's a solid war story that's told mostly from the perspective of three women, and unlike the cover art, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
    • 4/5
      The intersection of three women's lives set during World War II. Breathy and romantic, it was a gripping, if not great, read. Other WWII books, including Life After Life, suited this reader better.
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed this book. Blake painted a tranquil picture of Cape Cod, calm and peaceful on the surface but boiling & tense beneath. Parts of the story were lame but the author knit the story together. War affects everyone. It is futile and even when we are not directly involved we are affected by it. As i write one can see that with Syria and the refugee crises. It is a pity that Blake didn't spare 'U-boat lookout' Harry Vale. Was there a need for him to die. Did all the women in the story need to feel loss and despair at the end. Surely, keeping Harry alive might have brought more hope to the end of the story. Sadness and Bad news/times sell - just listen to any news bulletin. Blake gave a different view to the London Blitz and it was no harm to remind us how intensive it was. Overall this wasn't a cracker of a book but it certainly held my attention until the end.
    • 3/5
      The possibility of an original plot making this a strong novel is ruined by the overwriting, the too often purple prose, and the awkward structure. No reader's interest can be held by an endless birth scene broken up into more than one chapter, interrupted by an interlude spent with other characters in a different location, all in an effort to generate mounting tension and suspense over a plot point that had been well telegraphed and can surprise no one.Hit the FF button and move on to the only really interesting bits about the American woman who joins Edward R. Murrow's staff, broadcasting domestic "frontline" war stories from London. She is the impetus to the novel's action more than the eponymous character.And that is a fatal error in any novel -- to create a "secondary" character who far outweighs and demands more attention than the indicated protagonist. What Blake does best is create an authentic period feel. But that is not enough to save this novel from "forgettable." Even Cassidy's excellent narration can not inject originality and vividness to lift the novel out of the doldrums.I've persevered through half the discs, but doubt I'll insert any more into my player.
    • 5/5
      The mental pictures that arise from this audio, read by Orlagh Cassidy, make it almost frighteningly still all too real---powerful historical fiction. Beautifully told.
    • 5/5
      This book was amazing. It exceeded all of my expectations by about a mile.

      To start off, I am a huge history fan, especially regarding World Ward Two. I love the idea of focusing more on the people surrounding the war than directly involved in the war. It paints a picture that is more easily relatable to most people I believe.

      It might be a bit of a slow start (especially getting used to all the characters and remembering who is who) but once it gets into the story, it really starts going. There were a couple of parts that had me almost in tears.

      My favourite part has to be the way it was written though. You know what is coming but you continue reading hoping against hope that you are wrong. That is what makes an excellent book.
    • 3/5
      It seemed, or maybe it just seemed to ME, that this book got a fair amount of hype when it came out. I've had it (audio) on my TBR shelf for a while now, looking forward to diving in, which I finally just got around to doing. I feel bad not particularly enjoying it a lot, but then after reading other reader's reviews, I feel justified in my opinion. I enjoyed the time period (World War II) and the setting(s) -- a portion of the story taking place on the cape of Massachusetts and the other in war-torn Europe. But the story itself and the characters did not overwhelm or resonate with me. It seemed more a hodge-podge of side stories that didn't necessarily meld together effectively for a whole story. All in all, just a so-so story that was ultimately disappointing.
    • 5/5
      Good book! Engaging, well written. I enjoyed getting to know Emma, Iris, and Frankie.
    • 3/5
      set during the time of WWII, the story follows the lives of 3 American women and how everyday people are affected by war. Frankie is a women radio broadcaster in London who travels through France gathering "voices" of Jewish refugees. Emma is the new bride of a doctor who decides to go to London to help during the Blitz. Iris is a postmistress who handles the mail and death telegrams in Cape cod.
    • 4/5
      This is a well-written story of two women during WWII who take morally ambiguous actions regarding conveying news. I enjoyed the writing and plot structure and for the most part felt engaged with the characters and places. The descriptions of the impact of war on human lives are intense and vivid and the characters felt real and interesting.
    • 4/5
      This novel was slow to get going but once I was into it, I quite enjoyed it. It alternates between Cape Cod and Europe torn apart by war. It alternates between Iris James, the postmistress in cape Cod and Emma Fitch , the doctor;s young bride and Frankie Baird, an American reporter working with Ed Murrow in Europe. It tells a story of how war goes on around us while life continues. Frankie's broadcasts are heard in the small coastal town. These women's lives come together with the mail and letters telling Emma about her husband's death including the letter Frankie Baird and Iris never deliver.
    • 3/5
      This book was not as good as I was anticipating. It started out slow but definitely got better.
    • 3/5
      Set in WWII and tells the story of "the story". A debut novel. Not to great.
    • 3/5
      it took me a moment to sort out the characters and where they are but thren the book started to flow. spoiler alert!!!! the biggest surprise was for me that thr two main male characters died and even though it was a war stiry thry died of accidents and natural causes. the woman were rather shallow but on the bring on emanzipation.
    • 4/5
      I started this one quite awhile ago, followed my bad habit of skipping to the end to find out how things are resolved and decided I didn't want to read it through. But upon retrying it I quite liked it. This one would be interesting to journalists I would think and to those in the health professions-- how do you maintain your emotional distance in order to do your job, and what happens when you can't? Horrible stories of the second world war, but a lot of insight into how people deal with difficult situations, find their true calling, interact and make decisions. Good characters.
    • 3/5
      One thing I noticed about this book was the particular sounds included. The sounds were made by the reader describing ordinary things, but really enhanced the books and made it stand out. I wasn't thrilled with the ending. The story kind of deteriorated at the end, but I enjoyed listening to it, in general. I thought the description of Frankie's post traumatic stress was well described.
    • 5/5
      Heartbreaking. Beautiful. And heartbreakingly beautiful. I'm just not sure how to adequately describe Sarah Blake's novel, THE POSTMISTRESS. It's a love story. A couple love stories, actually - Will and Emma's and Iris and Harry's. Iris is the title character, a seemingly confirmed spinster on Cape Cod who meets an aging bachelor veteran of WWI. That part of the story I absolutely love. And then there's the young doctor, Will Fitch, and his orphan bride, Emma. I love that part too. And then there's Frankie Bard, the fiercely independent unmarried war correspondent, a woman in a man's world, traveling through occupied 1940-41 Europe and interviewing masses of displaced Jewish refugees. I loved that part too. And I loved how the three seemingly disparate stories all come together for that heartbreaking and beautiful conclusion.One could, I suppose, simply dismiss THE POSTMISTRESS as another WWII love story. But it's a lot more than that. It's a parable for today about the moral implications and responsibilities of war and its awful repercussions. About how we are obligated to "pay attention" to what's happening to the helpless victims of war. And somehow author Sarah Blake manages to say all this, spinning a beautiful love story - two of them: Will and Emma, Harry and Iris - at the same time.This Sarah Blake is a wonderful writer. Did I say I loved this book? Well, I did. Highly recommended to everyone who loves a good story and good writing.
    • 2/5
      I probably should have abandoned this book, but at some point I had invested enough time in listening to it that I decided to stick it out to the bitter end. It didn't help that my listening stretched over a month as first my iPod quit working (thankfully under warranty) and I had to send it in for a replacement, then I had surgery and mostly watched TV during my recovery. For a while I thought these interruptions might have had something to do with the trouble I had with becoming engaged in the story, but I've concluded that the problem was the story itself. The one bright spot was that I got to listen to the narration of the very talented Orlagh Cassidy, a reader I first encountered in the audio version of the Maisie Dobbs novels.The story follows the lives of three women, only one of whom was the postmistress of the title, during the early months of World War II, before the U.S. entrance into the war. Iris (the postmistress) and Emma live in a small Cape Cod town, and both are newcomers. Emma is the doctor's bride. Frankie is an American journalist covering the Blitz in London, where she works with the legendary Edward R. Murrow. The three women are brought together by a tragedy.The women allow their emotions to form their beliefs rather than the other way around. They came across to me as selfish and somewhat shallow. Iris and Frankie both keep news of a tragedy from Emma by rationalizing that they're protecting Emma, but they're really protecting themselves from what they know will be an unpleasant experience. Their incessant brooding over what they knew that Emma didn't know tried my patience almost beyond endurance.I also disliked Frankie's attitude of moral superiority regarding the plight of the Jews in Europe. Frankie was first outraged and then depressed because of the perceived apathy of average Americans about the situation. I couldn't forget that the people Frankie was condemning were just coming out of a decade of economic depression, with widespread unemployment, hunger, and suffering. Knowing what I know on this side of history, I wish that more people had been aware of the extent of the suffering of the European Jews and had done more to prevent the terrible things that happened to them. However, Frankie seemed to forget that it might be difficult for people to focus on the suffering of unseen people an ocean away when there are many people suffering in their own communities.
    • 3/5
      The story of three women during WW II and the intersecting of their lives in Franklin, MA and in Europe. The author did a lot of research which made for interesting reading. The book was not a feel-good book. The ending was depressing but I don't know how I would have written it. Also I was excited to see it took place in Franklin, MA, where I have relatives. The scenery of the description did not meet the Franklin, MA, that I know. At the end the author states that Franklin, MA, was a fictitious place.
    • 4/5
      Sarah Blake is clearly a supremely skilled writer and I can only assume this book was researched deeply (with the exception of the Keep Calm poster slip-up). I enjoyed the tale of WWII played out on both a European and Cape Cod stage. However, for me, the story would have been more compelling with fewer switches in point of view - perhaps just 2 main characters would have sufficed. And although I enjoyed Blake's descriptive technique and similes, the fact that I noticed them made me wonder if she had overdone the literary flair. Finally, with the huge stakes of the time in question, I was ultimately disappointed with the nature of the letter Postmistress chose to keep, and the impact of keeping it from the intended recipient. Since this was introduced as the whole point of the book in Chapter 1, I was underwhelmed.
    • 1/5
      A book club book. I knew from the title that I wasn't going to like it.
    • 5/5
      Just finished this book and I loved it! This book follows 2 story lines that come together. One story is about Frankie Bard, a tough female radio reporter who goes to Europe with the goal of telling America the horrors of Hitler's attack on London - hoping to incite Americans out of their complacency and join the Allies in the war. The other story is about a small town in Cape Cod, Franklin, Massachusetts, and how the inhabitants' lives change with the impending war. I loved the characters and the theme of people being part of a whole, even when they feel they are alone. Absolutely stunning book. I read an advanced copy - it releases in February. I can't wait to hear the audio version - this book is going to be a hit!
    • 4/5
      Interlocking story of 3 female characters: a journalist reporting from the London Blitz & on Jewish refugees in Europe, a postmistress & a doctor's wife. All their stories eventually come together although this feels forced. However some excellent writing & excellent description of the Blitz & the horror of Nazi occupation in Europe. A bit too syrupy in places when it comes to relationships but still worth a read.
    • 3/5
      Interesting but not great. seemed familiar, like I've read it before.