#BlogTour: The Operator by Gretchen Berg @headlinepg @lararosetamara @annecater #TheOperator #GretchenBerg #RandomThingsTours #5Stars

Book Synopsis:

It’s 1952. The switchboard operators in Wooster, Ohio, love nothing more than to eavesdrop on their neighbours’ conversations, and gossip about what they learn. Vivian Dalton is no different (despite her teenage daughter’s disapproval), and always longs to hear something scandalous. But on the night of December 15th, she wishes she hadn’t. The secret that’s shared by a stranger on the line threatens to rip the rug of Vivian’s life from under her.

Vivian may be mortified, but she’s not going to take this lying down. She wants the truth, no matter how painful it may be. But one secret tends to lead to another . . .

This moving, heart-felt and ultimately uplifting novel brilliantly weaves together an irresistible portrayal of a town buzzing with scandal, and an unforgettable story of marriage, motherhood and the unbreakable ties of family.

The Operator is available in ebook and hardback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.

My Review:

I absolutely loved this book which I flew through in a couple of days as I found it very addictive.

The great combination of historical details with the gossipy writing style was just brilliant and helped perfectly capture the atmosphere of a small town where everyone knows each others business. It was great fun to follow the characters and learn more about their lives.

The main story is set in the 1950’s but the author takes us through flashbacks of Vivian’s life from her childhood to the present day. This covers some interesting historical events which I found fascinating to learn more about especially the War Of The World’s broadcast which I’d never heard about before and the descriptions of which had me in stitches. The story also covers some of the attitudes of the time towards black people and the focus on class which helped add to some of Vivian’s panic as she tries to sort everything out.

Most of the characters in this book weren’t very likeable and I was glad that I didn’t know them in real life. I couldn’t decide what I thought about Vivian as sometimes I liked and felt sorry for her but others I found her very annoying. I absolutely hated Betty though – what a horrible person. I found my toes curling with some of her self righteous opinions and wished I could go into the book to have a word with her myself.

Overall I thought this was an absolutely fantastic, addictive read which was hugely enjoyable. I’ve been recommending it to everyone and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Headline for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Gretchen Berg grew up in the US Midwest and now lives in Oregon. She has always been curious about history and families, and has a personal family tree of over 16,000 people. Her family research started with her own grandmother’s little brown notebook full of details, and it was the story of her grandmother – herself a switchboard operator in Wooster, Ohio, in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s – that inspired THE OPERATOR.