“What would you think of a postmistress who chose not to deliver the mail?” – Frankie Bard
A seemingly innocuous question, especially today in the era of Twitter and texting. After all, who actually even sends letters anymore? But change the setting. Go back to a time when, not only was there no Twitter or texting, but even having a television was virtually unheard of. A time when people got their information from the radio and newspapers, and communicated over distance mostly by letter. Such is the setting of Sarah Blake’s The Postmistress.
In 1940 the war in Europe was a nebulous concept for most Americans, something they heard snippets about on their radios. It wasn’t something that actually touched their lives. That changes for three residents of a small town in Cape Cod when, moved by the radio broadcasts of the London Blitz, local physician Will Fitch goes to volunteer in a London hospital, leaving his young wife, Emma, behind.
The town’s postmistress, Iris James, becomes the sole conduit for communication between Will and Emma, dutifully delivering his correspondence. Initially arriving on a daily basis, it eventually trickles to a stop. When another letter finally does arrive, Iris recognizes from the writing on the envelope it is not from Will. Impulsively, Iris chooses not to deliver the letter, instead taking it home and steaming it open to reveal the secrets contained within. (more…)
