So, here’s how my mind works:

There was an article in The New Yorker magazine about a tiny Channel Island called Sark (tiny place with a big problem). For me, mentioning the Channel Islands immediately evokes memories of a book I really enjoyed: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Schaffer & Barrows”. It’s a wonderful book combining a historical tale (the island of Guernsey was occupied by the Nazis during WW2), a love story AND the benefits of reading books! The whole story is told through letters the heroine wrote and received.

Which got me thinking of other books that tell a tale through letters.

“Daddy Long Legs” By Jean Webster is the first thing that came to mind. I only discovered the sequel, “Dear Enemy” (same format of letters) in recent years – I heard it as an audio book. Interesting to see how women’s roles and educational polices have evolved.

Then there was “Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh” by Irving Stone. I read that a long time ago but it made a significant mark in my memory. The characters seem so real when you are reading their letters!

One book I keep hearing about, is often discussed, intend to read but still haven’t done so, is: “Letters : 1925-1975” – The letters of Hannah Arendt & Martin Heidegger  What a strange connection, yet they kept corresponding! I really should put more effort into getting hold of that one.

I’m sure I’ve read other books told through correspondence but I can’t recall any more titles at the moment. Can you?