Radio Girls
Sarah-Jane Stratford
2016, 384 pages
Fiction
Although she’s supremely unqualified, American-raised Maisie lands a job as a secretary at the brand-new British Broadcasting Corporation. Radio, which is still new and strange in 1926, is competing with newspapers for the attention of the nation and isn’t catching on yet. Maisie isn’t sure how long she will last, but as she arranges broadcasts by the most famous writers, scientists, and politicians in Britain she is enthralled by the work and comes to realize her talent for producing. She is also caught up in a growing conflict between her two bosses, John Reith, the formidable Director-General of the BBC, and Hilda Matheson, the extraordinary director of the hugely popular Talks programming, who each have very different visions of what radio should be.
Radio Girls is captivating and vivid. Stratford’s writing captures the innovative, new world that Maisie is caught up in and resonates with the technological boom of today. Maisie is a wonderful character and it was a pleasure to travel along with her as she found her passion and her voice as a radio producer. This book is highly recommended.
Nora CascaddenConcord Public Library
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