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The Letter by Kathryn Hughes is a light, quick and easy read, which is perfect for the summer months. My mom went on a massive Irish novel kick during the pandemic and has been giving me the books she read and this is one of them. Here’s my short book review of The Letter by Kathryn Hughes.
In 1973, a woman named Tina is trapped in an abusive marriage. She works in a thrift store and finds an old, unmailed letter in the pocket of a suit pocket that has been donated. The letter, written during WW2, is from a young man asking “Chrissie”, to forgive him. Tina, as a distraction, wants to find out what happened to the young couple, and decides to look for Chrissie and deliver the letter. This book tells two stories: Tina’s and Chrissie’s. It goes back and forth between the 1970’s and the WW2 era. I am usually not fond of flip-flop books but this one wasn’t as confusing as some of them can be.
Eventually Chrissie and Tina’s fates become intertwined through a series of miraculous coincidences.
What I loved about this book was it’s hopefulness amidst tragedy and how it showed both the tenderness but strength and resilience of two women whose lives did not go the way they had imagined they would. Kathryn Hughes is a great storyteller, and I loved that this was a book that captivated me from the start but was also easy to pick up and then put down again.
Some more reviews of my favorite books can be found here. (I intend to reorganize them so they are easier to find-I love keeping track of how many books I’ve read in a year, and what my favorites are!).
I also love to set goals for myself when it comes to reading-it is easy to put our hobbies on the backburner when mothering takes precedence. Of course at times life just works this way, but when I decide to cultivate a habit, it helps me to set a goal. It also helps me reach for a book instead of my phone, which makes me prioritize having good books available. I’m trying to read at least three books a month-I have a whole bunch lined up for the summer.
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