Sunday, February 28, 2016

84 Charing Cross Road

By Helene Hanff

This charming classic, first published in 1970, brings together twenty years of correspondence between Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York City, and a used book dealer in London. Through the years, though never meeting and separated both geographically and culturally they share a winsome, sentimental friendship based on their common love for books. Their relationship captured so acutely in these letters, is one that will grab your heart and not let go.

I admit, when I found out about this book I was hoping for something along the lines of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but this was something different. It took me a while to find out for sure, but this is an actual correspondence between the author and a gentlemen who lived in England during WWII. It’s a cute and real life relationship that we are able to see. It made me nostalgic for this time before e-mails and text messages. Where letters were written longhand and with a little more thought and personality. I blew right through this book in an afternoon, and at the end had a bittersweet feeling that wouldn’t leave me for days. It’s a sweet little read that I’m glad took my afternoon away from me.


I give it a 3.75 out of 5 

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