The Operator

 Shirley J.         Adult Fiction         1950s Wooster, Ohio,  telephone operators listening in, small towns

Snoopy telephone operator, Vivian, listens in to the calls she places.   She prides herself on saying to anyone who will listen, "I know people."   ie. She is intuitive or so she says.   The word busybody comes to mind.   She finds out information on the people in town then spreads "truths" people might prefer to keep to themselves.   Of course Bell doesn't allow the operators to listen in to calls.   They actually forbid it, but, when no one is paying attention and the work day has grown long and boring, why not?    And all the operators do it.  Maybe not as frequently as Vivian, but, Vivian sees herself as watching out for her community by keeping an ear on what is going on.   It helps her to "know" people.   Until the one time she hears something shocking.  It had to happen but oh what comes of it makes for juicy reading!   I recommend this one to mature teens on up.    A lovely trip back in time and a vindicating you'll get yours tale.