In this hyper-connected time, it’s good to remember how pervasive “snail mail” correspondence used to be. The cursory, rapid-fire communications of today may make discourse conveniently instantaneous, but what can be lost is the more considered and reflective output generated with traditional letter writing. Also at risk are the skills of composition and exposition, tactile satisfaction, and some gorgeous penmanship.
This month, I wanted to highlight some works containing letters (and other, newer forms of exchange) as a prominent feature. The epistolary novel as a genre may not be as prevalent as in the past, but as a literary device it retains its ability to layer perspectives and illuminate relationships.
The Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware
"What Rowan doesn't know is that she's stepping into a nightmare -- one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder. Writing to her lawyer from prison, Rowan Caine struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration." | |
Dear Committee Members - Julie Schumacher
"(Comprised of) letters of recommendation that Fitger is endlessly called upon by his students and colleagues to produce, each one of which is a small masterpiece of high dudgeon, low spirits, and passive-aggressive strategies." | |
The Letters - Luanne Rice and Joseph Monninger
"At opposite ends of the country, waiting for their divorce to be finalized, (Sam and Hadley) begin to exchange letters by post, missives filled with longing and truths they've never before voiced, as they recall their marriage..." | |
Sea Prayer - Khaled Hosseini
"Watching over his sleeping son, the father reflects on the dangerous sea-crossing that lies before them. (The novel is) composed in the form of a letter, from a father to his son, on the eve of their journey." | |
A Letter to the Luminous Deep - Sylvie Cathrall
"Left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches, and field notes left behind they learn what their siblings' disappearance might mean for life as they know it." | |
Fox 8 - George Saunders
"Idealistic Fox 8's ability to communicate in "Yuman" cannot save his pack when their den and food supply are destroyed to build a mall, so he writes a letter asking for an explanation of human's cruelty." | |
Authentically, Izzy - Pepper Basham
"In this charming epistolary romance, a book-loving librarian is unwillingly enrolled in an online matchmaking service and embarks on a journey toward love that starts with emails to a quirky islander and ends in a choice that will change her future forever." | |
Ella Minnow Pea - Mark Dunn
"As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere." | |
We Are the Light - Matthew Quick
"Insisting that his deceased wife, Darcy, visits him every night in the form of an angel, Lucas spends his time writing letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl." | |
Like Happiness- Ursula Villareal-Moura
"Told in a dual narrative that alternates between Tatum's present-day and her letter, Like Happiness explores the nuances of a complicated and imbalanced relationship, catalyzing a reckoning with gender, celebrity, memory..." | |
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong
"A letter from a son to a mother who cannot read unearths a family’s history that began before he was born — a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam — and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation." | |
Dear Mr. Knightley - Katherine Reay
"When an anonymous benefactor offers to put Samantha Moore through school, with the stipulation that she write frequent letters to him on her progress, Sam finds safety in the letters as her program and her peers force her to confront her past." | |
Summaries sourced from publishers' marketing materials |
June's Featured Review
House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
"A young family moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside." |
Hop on the Holds List
By Any Other Name – Jodi Picoult
The Briar Club – Kate Quinn
The Summer Pact – Emily Giffin
Breaking the Dark – Lisa Jewell
Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout
Quote of the Month:
"More Than Kisses, letters mingle souls." - John Donne
Bookish News and Links:
Want personalized recommendations? Fill out a questionnaire to get a customized list sent directly to your email
Love Lists? Try these:
Book Riot lists 100 epistolary novels from the ancient to the contemporary.
The Smithsonian Museum provides a great overview of the unique characteristics of epistolary fiction with illustrative examples.
Want to craft your own story using correspondence? Medium offers some tips for writers using the form.
Adaptation News: Upcoming movies and shows based on books:
Queenie, released on Hulu on June 7 is based on Candice Carty-Williams' award-winning debut.
Also on June 7, The Watchers, based on the book by A.M. Shine and directed by Ishana Shyamalan will have its theatrical release.
A remake of Presumed Innocent (original 1986 novel by Scott Turow) starring Jake Gyllenhall will be available on Apple TV+ on June 12.
David Koepp's Cold Storage, based on his original thriller is due in theaters on June 20.
Recent Reads
I have recently finished reading James by Percival Everett and The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. I also just finished listening to Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne.
I am currently reading A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke and All This and More by Peng Shepherd. I am also listening to the audiobook of Doppelganger by Naomi Klein.
Do you have any old letters that you save and cherish? Do they have a story to tell?: Share one with me! jnmegan@gpl.
Until next time: Be safe, be well, and be well-read!
Joelle
So, who am I, anyway? I am a resident of West Groton, with a husband, 3 children in college (and one at GDRHS) and a Samoyed that keeps my vacuum well-employed. I am currently working part time at the Groton Public Library and in a former life I was a Director or PR/Marketing at a high-tech consulting firm. My BA is in Psychology, but most of my time was spent in college earning a Concentration on the Novel. That is all to say that I make no claims at being an expert of any kind and my thoughts, opinions and mistakes are solely my own. I am just a person whose passion for books has continued to grow from the moment I was first able to grip and gnaw on them. I have been devouring them ever since.
Recent Posts
- December 2024 — Contemporary Classics
- November 2024 — By George: Windsor Drama
- October 2024 — Devilish Deals
- September 2024 — Unforgettable Antagonists
- August 2024 — A Different Perspective
- July 2024 — Summer in New England
- June 2024 — It's in the Mail: Epistolary Novels
- May 2024 — There's a Doctor in the House...
- April 2024 — Small, But Mighty
- March 2024 — Audiophiles: Open Your Ears