This reading group guide for Dear Miss Lake includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Dear Miss Lake is the fourth and final book in AJ Pearce’s The Emmy Lake Chronicles (which includes Dear Mrs. Bird, Yours Cheerfully, and Mrs. Porter Calling), following the ever-determined Emmy as she navigates work, friendship, and life during the final year of World War II.

Amid wartime struggles and personal triumphs, Dear Miss Lake tells the story of Emmy’s fight to amplify the voices of everyday women. As London faces relentless bombings and Britain inches toward victory, Emmy and her colleagues at Woman’s Friend magazine embark on unexpected adventures together.

Topics and Questions for Discussion

1. Over the course of The Emmy Lake Chronicles, Emmy has grown from an unlikely assistant to an advice columnist to a true journalist and steadfast advocate for women. How has she changed since Dear Mrs. Bird? In what ways has she remained the same?

2. Dear Miss Lake captures the exhaustion and resilience of those enduring the final stretch of war. How does Pearce convey the toll of the final years of World War II on the characters and represent the implications of war on our interpersonal lives?

3. The decision to move Woman’s Friend to the countryside provides a fresh setting for the novel. How does this change of environment affect the characters and their relationships?

4. Compare the challenges Emmy faces in Dear Miss Lake with those from previous books. How does this novel continue themes introduced in Dear Mrs. Bird, Yours Cheerfully, and Mrs. Porter Calling? What differences do you notice that speak to Emmy’s personal growth? How does the series represent history during a period of rapid social and political change?

5. Advice columns have played a central role throughout the series. How does Emmy’s work on her column evolve in this book? What does the continued popularity of the magazine’s problem page reveal about the needs and concerns of women at the time?

6. Friendships between women remain cornerstones of the series, particularly Emmy’s relationship with her best friend, Bunty. How has their friendship evolved? What are some of your favorite moments between them in Dear Miss Lake? How does Bunty’s relationship with Harold contrast with Emmy’s relationship with Charles?

8. The letters Emmy receives from readers highlight the unseen struggles of women on the Home Front. Were there any particular letters or reader concerns that stood out to you? How does the magazine’s work reflect and fight against the sexism and classism of the time? Do you think Dear Miss Lake does a good job of uncovering these marginalized histories of women during World War II?

9. With the war nearing its end, the novel hints at an uncertain future. What do you think lies ahead for Emmy and her friends in a post-war world? How do you think their experiences in Dear Miss Lake have changed the mission and impact of Women’s Friend?

10. If you’ve read all four books in the series, what has been your favorite part of Emmy’s journey?

Enhance Your Book Club

1. Explore wartime advice columns: Find vintage issues of women’s magazines or browse online archives to see how real publications supported readers during World War II. Compare them to Emmy’s “Yours Cheerfully” column. Compare them to current news outlets to see how the same themes are covered differently over time.

2. Listen to wartime music: Create a playlist of 1940s songs to set the scene for your discussion.

3. Discuss family histories: If comfortable, invite members to share any family stories from the World War II era. How do these personal histories compare to the experiences depicted in Dear Miss Lake?

4. Imagine the next installment: If AJ Pearce were to write a fifth book in the series, what do you think should happen next?