The Operator: 'Great humour and insight . . . Irresistible!' KATHRYN STOCKETT Paperback – 16 Mar. 2021

The sort of storyline that makes you realise you were born too late. Beautifully written. Updated my curse word collection to include “sakes alive”

Thank you so much Headline for this amazing hardback copy, I have enjoyed every single page and every single secret that has came through the telephone line...This was a great read, if historical fiction is your thing then you get full doses of it in this one.Throughout the story you are regaled with fascinating details from the 30's 40's and 50's.The story is based around Vivian, a content wife and mum to a teenage daughter living in a small town that separates the classes, those that have money and those that do not.Vivian has a job as a telephone operator that isn't greatly paid but allows the family the occasional luxury from time to time. As you can imagine working in a position where you are connecting calls back and fourth all day the gossip is rife, especially where she lives and works and one day Vivian overhears a call from a woman in a high society position that involves gossip about Vivians husband, as you can imagine she thinks that this will be the ruin of her marriage and break them apart, but not all is what she thinks..The story jumps back and fourth with flashbacks to her childhood, one of five she had to give up her education and take the job at the telephone exchange to help support her parents. True to the era there is obvious racial bigotry and the upper class white people are getting everything they deserve and more but as for the foreign working class, they get treated with the disrespect of that era which always annoys me when I read about that side of history as I am appalled by it all.I really liked Vivians character, even though she was not an educated woman she is loyal, full to the brim with personality and like all of us loves a bit of gossip.I found this a light hearted read that made me smile, I especially like the recipes and entries dotted throughout, I found this a lovely touch that added a homeliness to it.If you are after a light hearted read that does not get to serious then this one is definitely for you.

Small town sensibility is the subject of The Operatorby Gretchen Berg. It is about how life was very different in the 1950s and how even being in a world without social media we are still fascinated by the gossip and lives of others.The story centres on Vivian who works at the switchboard. Vivian is obsessed with being seen and being values in society but when she listens in to a switchboard phone call and finds out a secret that is about her Vivian begins to understand the adage be careful what you wish for. Her small town world is about to be completely rocked.Whilst this is a fascinating look at the lives in a small town in America – one that demands social etiquette and rules – I did find the whole thing rather boring and slow placed, however, it is arguable that given the time frame things didn’t work at a speedy pace, it wouldn’t make sense to do so.Either way, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted too. I think that the cover oversold the story which is a shame.The Operator is an interesting read but it did not blow me away.

Really great story with humour , a good page turner

The Operator is a character study about life in a small town. We take a peek behind the bright smiles and perfect family images of its residents, discovering the secrets and lies they hide when the town is rocked by scandal.Vivian Dalton is a switchboard girl at Ohio Bell. They aren’t supposed to listen in when they connect the calls but everybody does it. And who wouldn't take the chance to discover the juicy gossip about their friends and neighbours? But Vivian’s eavesdropping comes back to bite her when she overhears some scandalous gossip about her own family that shatters her world. Worst of all, the information is in the hands of the town’s biggest gossip Betty Miller.Mortified, Vivian tries to think of a way to stop the town from hearing the rumour and her family being humiliated. She soon learns that they aren't the only ones harbouring a scandalous secret and there are others with far bigger skeletons in their closets waiting to be revealed.This marvellously written debut was a joy to read. It drew me in from the first pages, the authentic language and vivid imagery transporting me to small-town 50s America and the glossy facade of the lives of its residents. I thought I knew what I was getting, but the author created a rich tapestry, woven from the myriad of seemingly insignificant threads of information, that looked nothing like what I had imagined. It was hard to predict and I loved not knowing where it was going or what would happen next. I enjoyed the various literary styles the author used to tell the story by peppering it with things such as word descriptions and recipes and giving the reader an in-depth look at Vivian's history.The story boasts a multitude of rich characters but centres around two women - Vivian and Betty - who are more competitors than friends. Though they despise each other, the women are more alike than they think: they both like to be in control, good appearances are important to them above all else and struggle with anger and use techniques to calm it - Vivian bakes and Betty strokes her angel charm on her watch. Neither character was particularly likeable, but Vivian did have a charm that drew me to her.The Operator is a wonderful, witty, intriguing and heart-felt novel. I enjoyed watching it morph into something unexpected and that even after the story ends the author's note shines a different light on the story. I would recommend this delightful, understated and readable book to anyone who enjoys historical or literary fiction.

Definitely a good book, highly recommend. I will read it again.

I'm a sucker for historical fiction, and the 1950's might be my favorite decade (based on traditions, decor, holiday style, fashion, etc). I was also drawn to the character's profession, having served as an operator for AT&T in 1988! Not quite the same as Vivian having to connect everyone due to how the phones were set up, but in a way I recalled similar reactions to those who did call.I really enjoyed the development of characters, and when it is revealed what the town secret/gossip of Vivian's family is, I was completely surprised! Nothing in the story had given any hint as to what it might be, which kept me turning the page just to get to that reveal.The author's details in the setting and time the story occurs gave me a great picture as I read.

Entertaining - which is exactly what a book should be.

I read the book with delight. Very good book, very good story. DOWNSIDE, too much cursing. Unnecessary cursing to tell the story, italicized too! It was so bothersome, my eyes would have to skip the italicized curse words.

If you wanted me to pin down the genre of this terrific book, I wouldn't know whether to call it a mystery, a marriage story, a mid century history of life in small town America or a just plain really good story. It seemed to be all of those rolled into one.In late, 1952, Vivian Dalton was working for Bell as an operator. Bell had decided to hire woman to answer the telephone with the well known phrase of the time "Number, please". Then she connected your land line phone to that number and if your call was answered she moved on to her next call. Or at least that was what she was supposed to do. But Vivian had decided that she would listen in on some conversations to hopefully learn the latest news in the small town of Wooster, Ohio. Now most of us knows that if you succumb to eavesdropping eventually you will hear something about yourself that you will not like. And this is what happened when Vivian Dalton overheard Betty Miller talking to someone about Vivian's husband.The story that follows has so many twists and turns that I almost got whiplash reading the intoxicating tale as it was dished out. There were plenty of roads to go down and plenty of teasers to solve and for that reason I really recommend this read. And the prose is funny and the plot well thought out. You might even find a new recipe or two.