Dear Miss Kopp

October 5, 2020
Stewart’s engrossing sixth Kopp Sisters novel (after 2019’s Kopp Sisters on the March) finds the three siblings, based on actual sisters, separated for the first time, though they keep in touch through letters written from May to December 1918. Constance, the first female undersheriff in the U.S., remains home in New Jersey ferreting out German saboteurs. Fleurette travels across the country entertaining the troops with May Ward and Her Eight Dresden Dolls, a real-life vaudeville act. Norma, who’s stationed in a French village behind the front, trains carrier pigeons to relay military messages for the Army Signal Corps. (The travails of the pigeon service are a source of ongoing humor.) Meanwhile, a nurse serving with Norma at the American Field hospital becomes involved in the case of the theft of medical supplies. The nurse enlists Norma’s help, which may be connected to a spy ring. The tension rises as the 1918 flu pandemic looms large and events move closer to Armistice Day. Readers will eagerly await the sisters’ postwar adventures.

Listeners get a glimpse of the lives of the three Kopp sisters through the letters they write to each other during WWI. Narrator Christina Moore captures the spirit of each sister. Listeners observe how much Constance, the first female FBI agent, shows patriotism and dedication to her job, demonstrating her singular focus through her words and energy. Norma exhibits her extremely left-brained characteristics in her almost cold, calculating work training messenger pigeons for the U.S. Army in France. The youngest sister, Fleurette, shows vivacity as she travels the country entertaining the troops. Listeners will be captivated by Moore's portrayal of the women's unique personalities while making each section of the writing sound like an actual letter. V.M.G. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine