84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (#60 in 2020)
On October 5, 1949, Miss Helene Hanff, New York City resident, responded to an London bookseller's advertisement requesting copies of some out-of-print books. After that initial letter, the subsequent correspondence of Helene, Frank, and the other staff members at Marks & Co tells the story of a friendship over the course of twenty years.
Let me start out by saying that this book is nonfiction. These letters are the real letters exchanged by Helene and Marks & Co over the course of twenty years. Back at the start of quarantine, I ordered a surprise book box from Books Aplenty in Mentone, Indiana. Pete and Freddy do a full search of your Goodreads and wishlists to determine which books would be best for you. 84, Charing Cross Road was one of the books that made it into my box. Each book came with a sticky note explaining the reason that book made its way into the box. I would probably never have even learned of this book had it not been for Pete and Freddy over at @booksaplenty
84, Charing Cross Road is told entirely in epistolary format and is fewer than 100 pages, but the amount of life that's covered in these letters is remarkable. At first the correspondence is professional and solely includes Helene's customer requests, but the writing between parties quickly becomes witty and grows more and more sarcastic as the friendships develop.
It's about people from different parts of the world who become long-distance friends all in the name of books... sound familiar? This book is essentially the 1940s version of Bookstagram! What begins as people simply discussing books becomes true friendship as Helene sends gifts to her friends during the rationing years and they, in turn, extend the invitation for Helene to visit their country and stay in their guest rooms.
This one will warm your heart and make you believe in the simple goodness that we too often forget exists. 84 Charing Cross Road is a MUST READ for every bookstagrammer. 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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