Publication Date: April 1, 2024
It’s 1932 and Mildred needs a change…
Quiet 19-year-old Mildred Westrick works at the salmon cannery along the Columbia River in Bresford, Washington during the spring of 1932 and is starting to feel that there’s more for her beyond the edges of her small town. Her life is hopelessly dull until she opens the newspaper and reads about Marty Townsend, a handsome pilot announcing his plans to fly to Bresford to collect donations for families living in a Seattle shantytown. Intrigued, she writes a series of letters to Marty that reveal her desire to escape her sad life. Rather than take a chance, Mildred stashes the letters with no intentions of ever mailing them. However, her glamorous friend Hattie finds the poorly hidden letters during a visit and secretly mails them…only for Mildred to receive a letter from Marty, who writes that he wants to see her.
When they meet, there is an unmistakable attraction. Finally taking a risk, Mildred gets swept up in his world of illicit champagne, luxurious parties and beautiful homes. Marty reveals to her that he’s the reluctant heir to his family’s timber fortune, but Mildred isn’t impressed like the other Seattle socialites, which makes him fall for her even more. Not everyone is pleased with the new romance, however. Mildred‘s bitter stepmother joins forces with the mayor of Bresford and his fashionable daughter to rip them apart, and in Seattle, there is one woman who wants nothing more than to see the couple suffer at any cost…Marty’s jaded ex-fiancée, construction heiress Agnes Crane.
Set in a time when money and class defined the rules, Sincerely, Mildred is a story about defying expectations to be with the one person who accepts you, which is worth more than any fortune.
Mildred Anne Westrick uses vivid daydreams to make her life more exciting, envisioning a dance with a handsome gentleman.
Her whimsical nature prompts her to pen a series of unsent letters to a pilot planning to visit her small community for a charity endeavor.
Author Ashley Rea takes readers back to 1932 for an enchanting story in Sincerely, Mildred. Through a series of events, Marty Townsend receives the letters and is fascinated by the unknown woman.
Not everyone favors a Marty/Mildred match. The author blends drama and adventure to showcase rivalries. There’s also a dark secret woven in the background that comes to light.
The secondary characters contribute significantly to the storyline’s development, particularly Hattie and Tabby. The inclusion of the letters written in script also added a nice touch.
Sincerely, Mildred traces a young woman’s transformation as she navigates a challenging path toward happiness.
 
Ashley Rea is a Washington State native and was born in the Columbia River region. She’s a graduate of Washington State University and has a degree in Elementary Education. She spends her time cooking, writing, running and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband. They currently live in Castle Rock, Washington near the Mt St Helens volcano.
