Final Thoughts

[Carmenere_lady]

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grammydee wrote:

In the end I must say I did enjoy the book-sneaking way beyond what I was supposed to of course. 

I agree with many others that the story was not about the Postmistress and the title and synopsis were misleading. The story was more centered on Frankie for me,her exploits of traveling in such uneasy times and the way she got terrified people to speak with her. 

Definitely a worthwhile read!

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Would a book entitled "The Reporter" been a more effective title?  I honestly believe so because midway thru this novel I discovered this was Frankie's story and not so much Iris's.  Was the blurb misleading?   Absolutely!  The letter that Frankie carried was so inconsequential to the story that it is ridiculous that Frances makes a big deal out of it at the dinner party.  The letter held NOTHING of importance, yet Frankie does not know that, however she is under no obligation to see that letter thru to its destination she can not be the "Postmistress" unless she making herself of more importance than she actuallyi deserves.  Frankie could have REPORTED Will's death to his wife and in that respect that is where Frankie  failed to do her job.

None the less is was a great read and well written, just a bit baffling as to who's who.

[ponkle]

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I am afraid that try as I might I could not get into this book. I was not really able to participate since I was so far behind. I kept picking it up thinking okay now I will get into it but it just never happened for me.

[jenniferu]

I really enjoyed this book -- it made me think on many levels and even with this being set so long ago there were a lot of common themes to today.   The scene that will stick with me the most is the mother and the son on the train -- that was heartbreaking.   I also think about the doctor running from his life and in some ways taking the easy way out by running overseas.

[pattycakeMN]

I LOVED the book, and could not put it down while reading it !!  I loved reading about life in the 1940's and realizing what it must have been like during the years when I was born.

This is my first B&N book club reading, and I find the questions and answers on-line hard to follow.  The website seems especially slow as well when signing in and out.

I think your pick of this book for discussion was EXCELLENT !!  Look forward to the next book, and the next book by Sarah Blake.  I thoroughly enjoyed her style of writing.

Patricia

[fairystarr_777]

I initially had a hard time making myself continue to read this book.  In fact, I went back and re-read quite a portion of it - hoping to be able to make a connection.  Alas, while I did enjoy parts of the book, I found myself unable to "get lost in" it.  I don't read much historical fiction and I also was disappointed that the letter was not delivered. 

I am hoping for a better experience with the next book as this was only my first time here and my daughter was in the hospital twice during the reading period.  So, maybe that was one of the things that kept me from connecting and realy enjoying this read.

[ehjulstrom]

I enjoyed the book, but I also never got the "I can't put this book down!" feeling like I have with a lot of other books. I liked the settings - the contrast of the calm Cape Cod town and the ever-changing war - and I enjoyed the characters, but it wasn't one of my favorite stories. I do agree with the other posters who thought the blurb was misleading. Even the beginning of the book (what if a letter wasn't delivered?) set up a scenario that never quite played out, even at the end. Frankie's travels were my favorite parts. A good effort and an enjoyable read, but it never came together for me.

[Helena115]

I completely agree. I actually found the whole “Postmistress” storyline to be the least interesting of the whole book. The parts that really interested me all too place during Frankie’s time in Europe. I was fascinated by getting an up close look at the people trying to live their lives during the war, and the adversity that they faced. Everything taking place in Cape Cod almost seemed like filler to the “real” story going on elsewhere. Frankie was the only character that I felt like I could relate to emotionally, the others seemed too two-dimensional and I never felt like I cared about them. I really liked the premise that was seen in the synopsis, but felt like there were large chunks of the book that I could not connect with.

[Shelsie]

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Immortal-Spirit wrote:

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Zia01 wrote:

But what bugged me the most more than anything is the assumption the reader is led to believe about Iris taking the letter. The blurb and the jacket both make you think it's the main plot line of the book. In reality it is not. I spent the entire book looking for this letter and wondering what the heck it had to do with anything in the story. If I hadn't been given the wrong impression, I would have really enjoyed this book.

I thought I was being overly sensitive to it but a friend who also read for this book club felt the same exact thing. She kept waiting for the plot to happen.

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I have to agree.  When the letter was finally not delivered, it was an anti-climax.

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I also have to agree.  Although I enjoyed the book and the development of the characters, I kept waiting for that pivotal moment when the letter wasn't delivered.  In contrast to the other story lines, this one seemed very minor to the outcome of the story.

[mgmama33]

I really enjoyed this book, I just wish the letter had been delivered.  Otherwise, really enjoyed it.

[CKindianCB]

This was a well written book but I don't think it had much to do with the Postmistress. The book was more a Frankie news-reporter.  Frankie lived through a great deal of the struggles in England and the Jews.

I had a difficult time reading this book, Sarah Blake made you feel a part of the war. I found this to be a depressing book. 

The letter that Will left with Iris was probably full of excuses why Will just had to go to London.  What did he really accomplice there?

I did not like the end of the book.  Did Harry have to die?

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

Carol

[ReadingPatti]

CKindianCB, I agree with your post. I loved this book. I love the feature of women. It was really good as this was the first real time that women were in the work force on a major scale.

You definitely could feel what the people were going through with the war. The fact that no one was paying attention to what was going on with the Jews just so how much they were ignoring the issue or did not want to believe what was really happening.

I loved this book and have recomended it the my library director. I hope she gets it for our library. I am recommending it to friends.

ReadingPatti

[sprinkles31]

Yes, I agree!  This was a rather compelling story and portrayed women in a strong and liberating light.  It was written with a very soothing style that made you want to re-read chapters just to re-capture the emotions expressed.

[BOOKWORM1414]

Thanks for your reply.

I am also recommending this book to my friends.  I sincerely hope that Ms. Blake will continue to write more novels.

[BOOKWORM1414]

I am rereading the book once again.  I just feel compelled to see what I may have missed.  I just can't stop thinking about the characters.

[mgorbatjuk]

I enjoyed the book a lot. This book made me really imagine what was going on during WWII for real people. The discussions really contributed to my imagination. This was an enlightening pick and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. I doubt I would have picked it out to read myself and I know for certain I wouldn't have heard from the different personal experiences told here. Thank you

[dj5775]

It took awhile for me to like this book, There were many great scenes though, the mother saying good-bye to her son, the description in the reports, the blitz. The way Frankie keeps the voices with her and the people the came from.  I was hoping something would come of her keeping and repeatedly listening to the recordings though.  I agree in a way I looked to Frankie as the postmistress especially after reading her conversation with Iris in which she refers to herself as a postmaster! I did like the story  and will have to reread it.

[Jo6353]

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Rachel-K wrote:

Hi, all. Please use this thread to share any of your last thoughts on The Postmistress with the group. What do you think will remain your strongest impression from this novel? Is there a scene or a passage that will stick with you especially?

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The scene when the doctor and Frankie leave the shelter and then he gets hit by the cab left a lasting impression on me. Life is so fleeting! They were living day to day in a war zone and he got hit by a cab because he wasn't looking where he was going!  Ironic!

[sailorreader]

I enjoyed reading this book but felt that it had many loose ends.

1.  What was the deal with the Postmaster going to Boston to prove she was a virgin. 

2.  Why did the German immigrant look for U-2 boats and have no plan of action when he saw one.

3.  What did the pregnancy have to do with the Dr's wife.  Did it make her more vulnerable?

4.  Reading the book initially was full of "word pictures" and thoughts.  About 3/4 of the way through the book changed and it seemed as though the Author was trying to "hurry up and finish".  The ending was not fair to the earlier parts of the book.

To be fair, just a few extra words or a couple of chapters could really bring this book to a great close.  I could even see this being used for a movie at some time. 

[Doctor_Stephan…]

I truly loved this novel and have shared it with many of my girlfriends already.  It's rare that I cry at a novel, but this book encompassed so many beautiful, flawed, and well-formed characters that it was easy to fall into their world immediately.  Thank you to Barnes and Noble for sharing this book with your book club readers!!

Stephanie T.

[drbjaded]

I LOVED this book.  Barnes and Noble has not picked a bad book for the First Look club.  The scene that sticks out is when Will is killed in the accident.  It was VERY sad.  I hope I get in for the next book.  Thanks for the Book Club B&N!

Julie