I really enjoyed reading this book. All the stories Connie said about women involved in other aspects of the war effort were so fascinating. When the war ended, a majority of women wanted to keep their jobs and their new-found economic and social independence, but nearly all were laid off, for men who were back from the war and were seeking employment. Connie wasn’t happy with her situation and his controlling husband, but she did not have the strength to stand up for herself. But when she finally did it, it was so beautiful and empowering. The ending was peaceful and touching. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and those interested in women’s rights and empowerment.

The Letter Reader by Jan Casey is a dual timeline novel. The novel takes readers between 1941 (through the war years) and 1967. I decided to read this book despite my ban on books from World War II (there has been a glut of books on this topic, and I needed a respite) because I had not read a book about postal censors. Connie Allinson joins the WRNS in 1941 and is posted as a letter censor (her husband wanted her to do something safe). For those who are nosy, it would be the perfect occupation (as well as those who are curious). It would be exciting to find a letter written in code. I had no idea that some postal censors traveled around from post office to post office to complete their duties. The war years part of the story was interesting, but I did not enjoy the 1967 portion. It was boring and repetitive. Connie is a housewife whose husband likes a strict routine. He wants chores done on a certain day of the week, he has a meal schedule, and he gives Connie the bare minimum for housekeeping (aka the household budget). Connie is bored staying at home and wants to get a job. I do not understand why she asked her husband’s permission to get a job (it was not needed). I would have gotten a job and then told him about it (fait accompli). Connie finds her thoughts consumed by certain letters that she read during the war. She wonders what happened to the people who wrote the letters. When Arthur, her husband, suggests Connie visit London every two months for three days (he is so generous) to catch up with her brother and sister-in-law, Connie jumps at the chance. It will give Connie the opportunity to do some research at Somerset House. I did find it odd that she would venture to find information on people who wrote letters. Connie signed the Official Secrets Act plus many people do not like “knowing” (there is knowing that your letter could be read and having someone show up saying they read your letter) that someone read their personal correspondence (much less remembered it twenty years after the war). I found the story to be long with mixed pacing. While the war year chapters flew by, the other chapters did not. I did not find the ending satisfying. The Letter Reader is a historical tale with a rough war, censored letters, a repetitive routine, a humdrum husband, and facing the future.

1941. London. Keen to do her bit in the war, Connie Allison joins the WRNS and is posted as a letter censor. Her task: to read and alter correspondence to ensure no sensitive information crosses enemy lines. At first, she's not sure she's up to it, but soon drawn in by the letters she reads and their secrets.... 1967. Doncaster. Bored of her domestic life, Connis desperately wants a job, but her controlling husband Arthur won't hear of it. Looking for an escape and plagued by memories of letters she read during the war, she makes a bid for freedom and starts secretly tracking do their authors. Will uncovering their past give Connie give Connie the key to her present? And will she be able to find them all before Arthur discovers what she is keeping from him. The pace is slow to begin with, then it gets to a steadier pace. I found the first part of the story to be quite intriguing. Learning more about letter censoring during the war. Then we get to the second part of the story where all Connie longs for is a job. Once the war was over, and the men came home, women all over the country had to give up their jobs and return to being housewife's. The dual timelines of 1941 and 1967 were brought together seamlessly. I liked when Connie eventually got the strength to stand up for herself against her controlling husband. I liked how this story ended. I would like to thank #NetGalley #AriaAries and the author #JanCasey for my ARC of #TheLetterReader in exchange for an honest review.

The Letter Reader takes place during the Second World War and in 1967. The difference between the life of the protagonist, Connie, in each timeline is stark. In 1941 Connie joins the WRNS and is surprised when she is chosen to be a letter censor, being one person in a huge team that reads every letter posted and checks for not only sensitive information but also codes and secret messages. Jump forward to 1967 and Connie lives a dull life with her husband, Arthur, in Doncaster. Her only thrill is running to catch up with her younger neighbours for a chat and being invited to their coffee morning. Her life is completely stymied by Arthur's control over her and whilst he is not a cruel man he likes everything done in a certain way to a certain routine, his mantra being that he did not fight in a war so his wife could……insert anything that Connie might possibly find fulfilling. This dual timeline work of historical fiction felt a bit different to me. I'd never really thought about the role of the letter censor but inevitably Connie finds that some letters she reads never leave her and in her stultifying life in Doncaster, knowing the outcome of what she read becomes almost an obsession for her. The exciting wartime work almost takes a back seat to what the book truly addresses: the control that Arthur has over Connie. I was longing for her to tell Arthur to take a running jump but a small part of me understood that perhaps there was more to it, not least a sign of the times the characters were living in and the long-lasting effects of fighting a war. I enjoyed The Letter Reader. I found it fascinating to read of Connie's responsibilities in the WRNS and both timelines felt very real and well-portrayed. I really felt for Connie and was longing for a good ending to her story. I actually found myself moved by the conclusion and on the whole this was an engaging read.

London, 1941. Connie Allison's husband Arthur is in the Royal Navy, she's keen to do her bit and Connie joins the WRNS. After basic training, Connie becomes a letter censor, she has to check all correspondence and make sure sensitive information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Connie has to thoroughly scrutinize the letters and packages, remove or cross out anything that doesn’t pass and report something suspicious higher up. Connie enjoys her job, she makes friends, and Connie receives a promotion and she works at a variety of bases all over England. During her time as a censor, Connie reads people’s private thoughts, including written declarations of love, bad news and secrets. After the war ends, Connie's demobbed, and she’s looking forward to settling down with Arthur and starting a family. Doncaster, 1967. Arthur works as an engineer, he accepts a transfer to a new power station and it’s in South Yorkshire. Connie is invited to coffee mornings at her neighbours houses, they all have children and unfortunately she and Arthur haven't been blessed with little ones. Arthur has always been an old soul, as the years go by and it’s become an issue for Connie, she isn’t happy and her husband hasn't noticed. Arthur gives Connie permission to visit her brother and sister-in-law in London, how kind of him and he organizes the whole trip. Connie still remembers a couple of letters that stood out from the thousands she read, and she uses her free time in London to find out what happened to the senders and it gives her a new lease on life. The dual timeline narrative is really interesting, all mail had to be checked during the Second World War, it needed to be read by someone and I had never considered who performed this vital task. The story emphasizes the line that’s crossed in a relationship when one person through manipulation or being overbearing makes their partner conform to their own wants and needs, this type of behavior is wrong and it’s an important message conveyed by Ms. Casey. Four stars from me, I highly recommend, The Letter Reader and the author’s previous book, The Women of Waterloo Bridge.