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Literary Friday: The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen

Friday, August 2, 2019


Happy Literary Friday, My Lovelies!  As summer is coming to a close, I wanted to share with you my favorite book on my Summer Reading List:  The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen.  If you're taking a last minute trip, or are just looking for a book to read this weekend, this one would be an excellent choice.

According to Goodreads:

Inside the Dead Letters Depot in East London, William Woolf is one of thirty letter detectives who spend their days solving mysteries: Missing postcodes, illegible handwriting, rain-smudged ink, lost address labels, torn packages, forgotten street names - they are all the culprits of missed birthdays, broken hearts, unheard confessions, pointless accusations, unpaid bills and unanswered prayers.

When William discovers letters addressed simply to 'My Great Love' his work takes on new meaning. Written by a woman to a soul mate she hasn't met yet, the missives stir William in ways he didn't know were possible. Soon he begins to wonder: Could William be her great love?

William must follow the clues in Winter's letters to solve his most important mystery yet: the human heart.


My Review:

(Although a little murky in the book, this story is set in the eighties before email when people actually sent snail mail and poured-out their hearts in letters.  If something happened to a letter or parcel, if it were lost, or if the address became illegible, then the loss of the mail could alter lives forever.)  The Dead Letters Depot in East London has a team of investigators who try to solve the mystery of the intended recipients of the lost mail, and William Woolf is one of the Depot's most dedicated detectives.  He is pouring his heart and soul into the job now that his writer's block has ended his literary career.  William lied to his wife about the writer's block for months, and she is disappointed in him.  In the meantime, her career at her law firm is on the fast track to partnership.

When William discovers a series of letters addressed to "My Great Love," he becomes obsessed with finding who penned them.  The letters are beautifully written, and the more he learns about the woman, the more intrigued he becomes; the closer he comes to discovering the woman who is writing the letters, the more his marriage is slipping away.  

The story arc is actually quite surprising.  There are several unexpected twists, and although the story maintained my attention, it also made me think about what truly matters in life, things like: How do I define success?  What do I truly cherish as important?  As a creative, how do I overcome a block?  I love books that are not only entertaining, but are also thought-provoking, and The Lost Letters of William Woolf perfectly fits the bill.

Have you read anything fantastic this summer?  If so, please either email me or share in the comments section below!




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Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill


5 comments

  1. That sounds like an interesting read! I have not had any time to read this summer. Looking forward to retiring next year so I have some reading time!
    I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Ricki Jill!

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  2. Sounds like a nice read Ricki. Have a great weekend.
    xoxo

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  3. Sounds very intriguing! Right now I'm reading one of your recommendations, The Saturday Night Supper Club, and really enjoying it! Thanks RJ!
    Jenna

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  4. Sounds interesting RJ. I still have several books yet to start I picked up while in Seaside, busy summer. I love your artsy photography, something I am attempting to do more of. Happy week.....

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  5. Thank you for this. I just finished and was entirely wrapped up in the story. I was happy it ended the way it did.

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Hello!

I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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