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Dear Heart: The Courting Letters
In 2010 teacher Lisa Anderson has almost given up on love after a failed, longtime relationship and Internet dating disasters. In a cluttered attic, she discovers an antique writing box labeled “Courting Letters.” Untying the beribboned packets inside, she finds tattered envelopes, their contents penned more than a century before. As Lisa begins to read, she learns that in 1907 in Ipswich, England, the authors, Gertie and Fred, meet. Just as their friendship deepens into something more, Fred and his family emigrate to America in search of a better life. Hopes for the budding relationship fade. Long months pass. Then a letter from Fred to Gertie arrives. The two begin a dance of written words, but the romance is fraught with obstacles, not the least of which is the Atlantic Ocean. Separation and distance also conspire against Lisa when her intriguing new beau must return to his native Spain. Dear The Courting Letters weaves a tapestry from two intersecting love stories. Will the threads hold or pull apart?
256 pages, Paperback
Published October 10, 2016
About the author
Judith Pinkerton Josephson
27 books2 followersIn my writing career, I have published numerous magazine, newspaper, and journal articles and over twenty books spanning varied genres—including biographies, childhood history books, and picture books for children; two zany grammar guides for folks needing a refresher; and a historical fiction novel. I write books and stories for children and some for adults. I’ve written biographies on diverse people, such as track and field legend Jesse Owens, detective Allan Pinkerton, poet Nikki Giovanni, musician Louis Armstrong, composer Ludwig van Beethoven, and labor activist Mother Jones. One of the things I love about writing biographies is the chance to shine a spotlight on fascinating people. Sometimes they are more interesting than anyone I could invent. Especially interesting to me are those who overcome challenges and provide positive role models for children. In my books on childhood history (the Our America series), I explored what children were doing during various eras in history—using children’s diaries, memoirs, photographs, songs, games, and more. As a co-author with Edith Fine, we wrote two humorous grammar guides and a picture book, Armando and the Blue Tarp School, nominated for the 2009-2010 California Young Reader medal and chosen for One Book San Diego. When I am not scrutinizing words, I enjoy writing poetry, playing my violin, reading, swimming, snorkeling, walking, and spending time with my family. For more about me, visit www.judithjosephson.com, www.grammarpatrol.com, and www.bluetarpschool.com
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 3, 2017
Want a beautiful love story with authentic history and art? Try this delightful mingling of the true story of Gertie and Fred who kept their love alive via letters across the Atlantic 100 years ago and an imaginary modern-day young woman who wonders if romance is even possible in the era of email and social media. School teacher Lisa finds the "courting letters" as she cleans out the attic of her family home in St. Paul, Minnesota. Readers enjoy with her the amazing history of lovers separated by an ocean who had only their handwritten words to forge their bond. Fascinating illustrations and a cleverly imagined structure help make this a satisfying and uplifting read for anyone who loves history and a great romance!
November 11, 2016
Reading this charming story of lovers from the past separated by an ocean makes me sad for today’s younger generations who “court” via on-line dating sites, hook-ups, and social media. Their descendants are unlikely to discover a cache of love letters stored in a dusty box or drawer and will never know what it is like to get to know one another bit by bit through the exchange of thoughts, doings, and emotions put on paper, lovingly sent, received, and saved. Like the letters that inspired this novel, this is a heartfelt story, beautifully told and illustrated.
March 21, 2017
After the sudden death of her thirty-five-year-old husband, Thomas Wiggington, dressmaker Margaret Bailes Moon Wigginton moves back home to Newmarket, England from Chantilly, France with her five children leaving the two oldest behind, James and Thomas.
Being the oldest at the time, Fred is forced to apprentice at a grocer at the tender age of thirteen to help his mother take care of the family. They move to Maldon, England and Fred finds a job in Ipswich at Leatherbys Grocers. Under the suggestions of Mrs. Chapman, a good friend of the Livock family; he goes to the Livock Draper Shop to inquire if there is flat in Ipswich he can rent. Before he enters the shop, we get a glimpse of Fred’s state of mind. He sees couples on the street strolling arm in arm, and his loneliness intensifies. He is twenty-nine, unmarried, and the pressure of being a breadwinner weighs down on him. Being a person with a high degree of responsibility requires sacrifice to some extent. The thing is, when it comes to attachments, you either have to cut or sink into them, and Fred does not let the resulting resentment I sensed from him poison his life.The only difference now is that women can be where men have been for the past centuries.
And there at the shop, Fred meets Gertie and her father owns the shop. Their first meeting leaves an impression on both of them from the accidental touch and Fred’s French farewell. Gertie is intrigued by Fred and would like to see him again. A week later, Fred comes back to the shop with his mother for dressmaking supplies. Gertie’s lovely, kind and attentive nature grabs his attention.
Gertie’s infatuation with Fred grows. Her stalkerish behavior is endearing. Peeking at Fred through the windows of his place of employment, looking for excuses to buy things at Leatherbys. That’s okay because Fred likes her too. He stops by now and then to share a cup of tea and Gertie looks forward to those visits. Their affection for each other grows as they spend more time in each other’s company and learn that they have the same interests. Literature for example.
Fred loses his job at Leatherbys and moves back to Maldon. Weeks pass by with no word from Fred, and when Gertie is invited to spend the weekend at Maldon, she finds out that the Wiggingtons are moving to St. Paul, Minnesota, America. Fred’s brothers’ Will and George remain behind, Fred’s mother, his sister Mag and brother John leave for America. On his way, Fred meets Mr. McArthur, a man who would change his professional life forever.
In Fred’s absence, Gertie’s father dies, and she struggles to keep the business afloat and is eventually forced to close it down. A year passes and still no word from Fred. Gertie is heartbroken. One day, Fred realizes how much he loves Gertie and letters begin to flow back and forth between them. Will their love survive the barrier of distance? This brings it down to the question of how much of a distance is a deal breaker? When there is a specific aim, it makes everything worthwhile. Fred’s awareness that he might not be the only man after Gertie’s affections makes him propose.
Torn between two man one five years younger and a continent away, the other eight years older, a widow and a short distance away, Gertie needs to make a decision. She makes an emotional one by choosing Fred over the Forbes character. He sends an engagement ring through the mail from Minnesota to Ipswich, that’s the way it went. A strong sense of family, which united these two, would not permit Gertie to leave her ailing mother behind as she embarks for America to be reunited with her Fred forever
In 2010, a century later, the letters, which were written by her grandparents, are found by the thirty-five-year-old Lisa, a teacher, and a mentor, in the cluttered attic of her dead parents’ home. She has just broken up with a cheating boyfriend and is putting herself out there. She goes to single’s dinner and ends up on a date with a persistent Tyler, but it never goes anywhere.
Taking the place of a co-worker as a volunteer for the school at a painting event downtown, she meets Spanish, Mario Amador. When his job takes him back home, an ocean away Lisa decides to give her ex a second chance only to find out he never broke up with the woman he cheated her with. Lisa and Mario continue communicating through emails, and she gets a happy ending just like Gertie did.
The relevant fact of the matter is that Judith Pinkerton Josephson made this down to earth historical memoir of her maternal grandparents interwoven with a modern fictional story, art and that makes it matter to me as a reader and a reviewer.
I like this book for purely elemental reasons. It is a clean, soft, sweet romance story that will warm your heart. It's heightened by the excellent pictures of the places and people she mentions in her book. And it made me realize how far we have come and created a visual representation of our evolution. The elaborate gowns and the hats. Stunning! The mode of transportation to cross oceans has changed from ships to planes. Courtship has moved, since that era from public acts to private spaces. It’s funny, you know, At some point in the story when Fred came to the shop with his mother, Gertie mentions that she wishes women rode astride instead of side-saddle. At that time it was considered unladylike and improper. I could imagine a woman straddling a horse and the other ladies screaming. How unbecoming of a lady! Was it of the dresses they wore? Probably Not. When it boils down to it, it had everything to do with protecting one’s virtue.
And the letters between Gertie and Fred seem more meaningful than the emails and texts between Mario and Lisa. It just feels like they have/had more tangible memories to look back on.
If you are not into raunchy romance novels and are a Betty Neels fan purchase yourself a copy.
BUY LINKS: Amazon :Kobo:Barnes and Noble
For more reviews visit: www.etherealediting.net
Being the oldest at the time, Fred is forced to apprentice at a grocer at the tender age of thirteen to help his mother take care of the family. They move to Maldon, England and Fred finds a job in Ipswich at Leatherbys Grocers. Under the suggestions of Mrs. Chapman, a good friend of the Livock family; he goes to the Livock Draper Shop to inquire if there is flat in Ipswich he can rent. Before he enters the shop, we get a glimpse of Fred’s state of mind. He sees couples on the street strolling arm in arm, and his loneliness intensifies. He is twenty-nine, unmarried, and the pressure of being a breadwinner weighs down on him. Being a person with a high degree of responsibility requires sacrifice to some extent. The thing is, when it comes to attachments, you either have to cut or sink into them, and Fred does not let the resulting resentment I sensed from him poison his life.The only difference now is that women can be where men have been for the past centuries.
And there at the shop, Fred meets Gertie and her father owns the shop. Their first meeting leaves an impression on both of them from the accidental touch and Fred’s French farewell. Gertie is intrigued by Fred and would like to see him again. A week later, Fred comes back to the shop with his mother for dressmaking supplies. Gertie’s lovely, kind and attentive nature grabs his attention.
Gertie’s infatuation with Fred grows. Her stalkerish behavior is endearing. Peeking at Fred through the windows of his place of employment, looking for excuses to buy things at Leatherbys. That’s okay because Fred likes her too. He stops by now and then to share a cup of tea and Gertie looks forward to those visits. Their affection for each other grows as they spend more time in each other’s company and learn that they have the same interests. Literature for example.
Fred loses his job at Leatherbys and moves back to Maldon. Weeks pass by with no word from Fred, and when Gertie is invited to spend the weekend at Maldon, she finds out that the Wiggingtons are moving to St. Paul, Minnesota, America. Fred’s brothers’ Will and George remain behind, Fred’s mother, his sister Mag and brother John leave for America. On his way, Fred meets Mr. McArthur, a man who would change his professional life forever.
In Fred’s absence, Gertie’s father dies, and she struggles to keep the business afloat and is eventually forced to close it down. A year passes and still no word from Fred. Gertie is heartbroken. One day, Fred realizes how much he loves Gertie and letters begin to flow back and forth between them. Will their love survive the barrier of distance? This brings it down to the question of how much of a distance is a deal breaker? When there is a specific aim, it makes everything worthwhile. Fred’s awareness that he might not be the only man after Gertie’s affections makes him propose.
Torn between two man one five years younger and a continent away, the other eight years older, a widow and a short distance away, Gertie needs to make a decision. She makes an emotional one by choosing Fred over the Forbes character. He sends an engagement ring through the mail from Minnesota to Ipswich, that’s the way it went. A strong sense of family, which united these two, would not permit Gertie to leave her ailing mother behind as she embarks for America to be reunited with her Fred forever
In 2010, a century later, the letters, which were written by her grandparents, are found by the thirty-five-year-old Lisa, a teacher, and a mentor, in the cluttered attic of her dead parents’ home. She has just broken up with a cheating boyfriend and is putting herself out there. She goes to single’s dinner and ends up on a date with a persistent Tyler, but it never goes anywhere.
Taking the place of a co-worker as a volunteer for the school at a painting event downtown, she meets Spanish, Mario Amador. When his job takes him back home, an ocean away Lisa decides to give her ex a second chance only to find out he never broke up with the woman he cheated her with. Lisa and Mario continue communicating through emails, and she gets a happy ending just like Gertie did.
The relevant fact of the matter is that Judith Pinkerton Josephson made this down to earth historical memoir of her maternal grandparents interwoven with a modern fictional story, art and that makes it matter to me as a reader and a reviewer.
I like this book for purely elemental reasons. It is a clean, soft, sweet romance story that will warm your heart. It's heightened by the excellent pictures of the places and people she mentions in her book. And it made me realize how far we have come and created a visual representation of our evolution. The elaborate gowns and the hats. Stunning! The mode of transportation to cross oceans has changed from ships to planes. Courtship has moved, since that era from public acts to private spaces. It’s funny, you know, At some point in the story when Fred came to the shop with his mother, Gertie mentions that she wishes women rode astride instead of side-saddle. At that time it was considered unladylike and improper. I could imagine a woman straddling a horse and the other ladies screaming. How unbecoming of a lady! Was it of the dresses they wore? Probably Not. When it boils down to it, it had everything to do with protecting one’s virtue.
And the letters between Gertie and Fred seem more meaningful than the emails and texts between Mario and Lisa. It just feels like they have/had more tangible memories to look back on.
If you are not into raunchy romance novels and are a Betty Neels fan purchase yourself a copy.
BUY LINKS: Amazon :Kobo:Barnes and Noble
For more reviews visit: www.etherealediting.net
June 29, 2017
Wow. Just wow! Dear Heart: The Courting Letters by Judith Pinkerton Josephson is an old-fashioned love story based on fact. The author shares the romance between Fred and Gertie who courted by mail over 100 years ago. Their letters filled with poetry and romance will take you back to a gentler time when courtliness and love was a priority. How I wish some of the courtliness and old-fashioned romance existed today as the courtship of Fred and Gertie was lovely indeed.
The main character, Lisa who is a teacher, discovers the letters does family research. Her modern day romance is a counter-point to Fred and Gertie's old-fashioned romance. Lisa has to make a similar decision that Gertie made when it comes to love.
It's not often I write about one of the first romance books I ever read, I will now, as The Courting Letters and the love between Fred and Gertie reminded me so much of one of my favorite books called Mrs. Mike. In the book Mrs. Mike Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Mike Flannigan and the young Katherine Mary O'Fallon fall in love. Their love is often tested much like the love between Fred and Gertie.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
The main character, Lisa who is a teacher, discovers the letters does family research. Her modern day romance is a counter-point to Fred and Gertie's old-fashioned romance. Lisa has to make a similar decision that Gertie made when it comes to love.
It's not often I write about one of the first romance books I ever read, I will now, as The Courting Letters and the love between Fred and Gertie reminded me so much of one of my favorite books called Mrs. Mike. In the book Mrs. Mike Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sergeant Mike Flannigan and the young Katherine Mary O'Fallon fall in love. Their love is often tested much like the love between Fred and Gertie.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.
March 30, 2017
I was particularly taken with two things about the book Dear Heart: First, the layering of historical facts and cultural elements from long ago that younger readers may not be familiar with. Second, the graphics—really like the color palette on cover (I got the color copy, so the interior also features full color) combining photos from the time, Gertie's art, postcards, and a sampling of the long letters sent between Fred and Gertie (her handwriting must have been hard to wade through). The book helped me visualize what was sold in stores, the immigration process, how long it took for messages to reach their destinations, how people traveled. It was easy to visualize the varied settings and scenes and I also liked the musical elements and the humor—oh, Mr. Jones!
January 4, 2017
I did not finish the book and put it down after chapter 11, a little over a third of the way in.
The book has potential in the concept (lovers courting across the Atlantic in a series of letter) and I did quickly read the section I did however I can only give it 1 star as I just couldn't complete it.
To me, the writing seemed juvenile and young. Everything was "told" rather than "shown."
For example, twice early in the story, Fred and Mag commend on Gertie's independence and fiery streak except we have not been shown she has any of those traits. In fact, she seems to display the opposite each time we see her.
The thoughts shown of Fred and Gertie seemed overly simplified. "Is she thinking about me?" "Do I love him?"
They didn't give any true insight into the characters and instead made the writing come across as very young.
There were several occurances throughout the book of things happening suddenly with no forewarning. **spoiler**. The death of Gertie's father seemed very out of left field and manipulative as we're clearly intended to have an emotional reaction except we were never introduced to this character or told of his significance to Gertie so I was unable to muster anything but apathy in his passing.
Mag's marriage was only slightly better in that we knew Walter previously and had (again) been told of his interest in her but we never got to see them interact. In the early chapters of the book, we're shown how great Mag is and how close she is with Gertie and yet we never get to see her interact with Walter prior to the wedding and I find it odd that Mag wouldn't have written Gertie herself to tell the good news.
The letters were the part of the story I was most looking forward to and was most optimistic about. However I was disappointed. These were not love letters. They were very brief, seemingly random bits of information passed between two individuals with seemingly no emotion behind it. How many letters talked about Fred's ingrown toenail? Why was that even remotely important?
The cover of the book is very attractive, as are the illustrations throughout however I wish there was some explanation of the images we're shown. We're these included in the letters? Were they found by Lisa? I need more than "Figure 2: Fred (left), will (right)".
Lisa's storyline also was unable to captivate me. Her dating life juxtaposes that of Gertie and Fred but I couldn't become invested in her love life, no matter how many times it's brought up that she thought she'd marry Nate but he left her.
Overall, while I think the author has potential, there's a ways to go.
The book has potential in the concept (lovers courting across the Atlantic in a series of letter) and I did quickly read the section I did however I can only give it 1 star as I just couldn't complete it.
To me, the writing seemed juvenile and young. Everything was "told" rather than "shown."
For example, twice early in the story, Fred and Mag commend on Gertie's independence and fiery streak except we have not been shown she has any of those traits. In fact, she seems to display the opposite each time we see her.
The thoughts shown of Fred and Gertie seemed overly simplified. "Is she thinking about me?" "Do I love him?"
They didn't give any true insight into the characters and instead made the writing come across as very young.
There were several occurances throughout the book of things happening suddenly with no forewarning. **spoiler**. The death of Gertie's father seemed very out of left field and manipulative as we're clearly intended to have an emotional reaction except we were never introduced to this character or told of his significance to Gertie so I was unable to muster anything but apathy in his passing.
Mag's marriage was only slightly better in that we knew Walter previously and had (again) been told of his interest in her but we never got to see them interact. In the early chapters of the book, we're shown how great Mag is and how close she is with Gertie and yet we never get to see her interact with Walter prior to the wedding and I find it odd that Mag wouldn't have written Gertie herself to tell the good news.
The letters were the part of the story I was most looking forward to and was most optimistic about. However I was disappointed. These were not love letters. They were very brief, seemingly random bits of information passed between two individuals with seemingly no emotion behind it. How many letters talked about Fred's ingrown toenail? Why was that even remotely important?
The cover of the book is very attractive, as are the illustrations throughout however I wish there was some explanation of the images we're shown. We're these included in the letters? Were they found by Lisa? I need more than "Figure 2: Fred (left), will (right)".
Lisa's storyline also was unable to captivate me. Her dating life juxtaposes that of Gertie and Fred but I couldn't become invested in her love life, no matter how many times it's brought up that she thought she'd marry Nate but he left her.
Overall, while I think the author has potential, there's a ways to go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2017
Interesting premise but deadly dull and amateurish execution. The scenes set in contemporary times are particularly weak; at least the early 20th century epistolary sections have a bit of interesting history.
Advice to anyone who finds their grandparents' love letters in the attic: before you decide to publish, consider whether there is an actual story worth telling and whether you have the skills to see it through.
Advice to anyone who finds their grandparents' love letters in the attic: before you decide to publish, consider whether there is an actual story worth telling and whether you have the skills to see it through.
July 1, 2017
This is a charming dual romance. My rating 4.25
Lisa Anderson is a school teacher in her mid-thirties. She has mostly moved on from a longtime relationship that ended with her beau saying something like ‘I’m not interested anymore’. Lisa’s mother has recently died so Lisa is cleaning out her mother’s house to prepare it for sale. Lisa finds an antique writing box in the attic that is full of “courting letters”. Lisa doesn’t recognize the names of the writers but she soon becomes enchanted with their courtship through letters.
Gertie and Fred met in England near the turn of the century. Fred moved to Chicago to help find work for his younger brothers and himself. He was sad to leave Gertie behind but he had a duty to take care of his family. Still, he had never met anyone like Gertie and he couldn’t help but write to her, sharing his sentimental musings keeping her advised of his activities.
Gertie was a young woman of 35 who spent her years helping in the family business. After her father died, Gertie helped her frail mother take care of their home as a boarding house. Gertie had thought a relationship was developing with Fred but then he announced he was moving to America. Gertie is ensnared with Fred’s sensitive prose and sharing through his letters. She has boarders who show interest in her but she still has dreams of Fred. Gertie must decide if she should accept an offer of marriage rather than continue to wait for Fred who has never spoken for her hand.
Unexpectedly Lisa meets a good-looking man and they discover common interests and mutual attraction. Things are developing nicely until he stops coming by and calling. He doesn’t answer her calls either. Lisa tries to overcome her new disappointment. Meanwhile, Lisa is sure there aren’t gentle, poetic men like Fred anymore and she wonders who this couple were and what happened to them.
The letter courtship is charming and the story shares wonderful word images of the times and places. There are lovely illustrations along with postcards and photography of the settings shared which add to the interest. This is not an action story but it has a gentle, quaint charm in the presentation through the letters. I enjoyed Lisa’s struggles and triumph in romance too. I recommend this to readers who enjoy sweet, gentle romance.
I received this title through NetGalley.
Lisa Anderson is a school teacher in her mid-thirties. She has mostly moved on from a longtime relationship that ended with her beau saying something like ‘I’m not interested anymore’. Lisa’s mother has recently died so Lisa is cleaning out her mother’s house to prepare it for sale. Lisa finds an antique writing box in the attic that is full of “courting letters”. Lisa doesn’t recognize the names of the writers but she soon becomes enchanted with their courtship through letters.
Gertie and Fred met in England near the turn of the century. Fred moved to Chicago to help find work for his younger brothers and himself. He was sad to leave Gertie behind but he had a duty to take care of his family. Still, he had never met anyone like Gertie and he couldn’t help but write to her, sharing his sentimental musings keeping her advised of his activities.
Gertie was a young woman of 35 who spent her years helping in the family business. After her father died, Gertie helped her frail mother take care of their home as a boarding house. Gertie had thought a relationship was developing with Fred but then he announced he was moving to America. Gertie is ensnared with Fred’s sensitive prose and sharing through his letters. She has boarders who show interest in her but she still has dreams of Fred. Gertie must decide if she should accept an offer of marriage rather than continue to wait for Fred who has never spoken for her hand.
Unexpectedly Lisa meets a good-looking man and they discover common interests and mutual attraction. Things are developing nicely until he stops coming by and calling. He doesn’t answer her calls either. Lisa tries to overcome her new disappointment. Meanwhile, Lisa is sure there aren’t gentle, poetic men like Fred anymore and she wonders who this couple were and what happened to them.
The letter courtship is charming and the story shares wonderful word images of the times and places. There are lovely illustrations along with postcards and photography of the settings shared which add to the interest. This is not an action story but it has a gentle, quaint charm in the presentation through the letters. I enjoyed Lisa’s struggles and triumph in romance too. I recommend this to readers who enjoy sweet, gentle romance.
I received this title through NetGalley.
June 6, 2017
I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
My sister in law wrote a book about the neighborhood she grew up in and lived most of her life. She died a year ago, June 1, 2016. Today is June 6, 2017. After she passed away I found the novel that she wrote and was waiting for the editing to be done by a publisher. (Yes, she did have a publisher set up to distribute it.) I read her novel and it was written so poorly, past and present confused, past tense used where it was supposed to be present (in a flashback). I struggled to read it, but pushed myself to finish. Why am I writing all this? It is because this book reminds me of my sister in law's novel. I am sure that the author is a nice person and wants to tell this story which is near and dear to her heart, but it is just not written well and after reading 10% of it, I just can not push myself to repeat the same situation I was in last year.
My sister in law wrote a book about the neighborhood she grew up in and lived most of her life. She died a year ago, June 1, 2016. Today is June 6, 2017. After she passed away I found the novel that she wrote and was waiting for the editing to be done by a publisher. (Yes, she did have a publisher set up to distribute it.) I read her novel and it was written so poorly, past and present confused, past tense used where it was supposed to be present (in a flashback). I struggled to read it, but pushed myself to finish. Why am I writing all this? It is because this book reminds me of my sister in law's novel. I am sure that the author is a nice person and wants to tell this story which is near and dear to her heart, but it is just not written well and after reading 10% of it, I just can not push myself to repeat the same situation I was in last year.
June 14, 2017
This was a sweet, light read based on letters exchanged in the early 1900's by the author's grandparents. It is a nice reminiscence of how people used to communicate, and a reminder of how patient they had to be compared to the instancy of today's world. The author is lucky to have such letters in her possession.
I was provided a copy of Dear Heart: The Courting Letters by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided a copy of Dear Heart: The Courting Letters by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Efrog Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved the premise of this book -- a story told mostly through letters. Overall, it was a nice story, however I was disappointed in the delivery of the story. The writing was very simplistic ... almost juvenile in its delivery. Perhaps it might appeal to a younger group?
February 4, 2017
The book description caught my eye. I love when something from the past touches the present day.
In this book, it is a modern woman who discovers old love letters in her deceased parents' home. Only, she has no idea who the couple is and why her parents had the letters.
Over time, she learns more about herself including the desire for a strong connection like Gertie and Fred had a century earlier. Ultimately, the connection to the authors is revealed thanks to a long time family friend. Gertie and Fred are her ancestors who she did not remember from her early youth.
Scattered throughout the book are photos of Gertie and Fred as well as snippets from their correspondence. This added a definite credibility.
What ended up surprising me (as it wasn't hinted in the description on NetGalley) is that Gertie and Fred are the author's ancestors. Lisa, however, is a fictional character she developed to help tell the story. Such a wonderful tribute to family.
In this book, it is a modern woman who discovers old love letters in her deceased parents' home. Only, she has no idea who the couple is and why her parents had the letters.
Over time, she learns more about herself including the desire for a strong connection like Gertie and Fred had a century earlier. Ultimately, the connection to the authors is revealed thanks to a long time family friend. Gertie and Fred are her ancestors who she did not remember from her early youth.
Scattered throughout the book are photos of Gertie and Fred as well as snippets from their correspondence. This added a definite credibility.
What ended up surprising me (as it wasn't hinted in the description on NetGalley) is that Gertie and Fred are the author's ancestors. Lisa, however, is a fictional character she developed to help tell the story. Such a wonderful tribute to family.
May 13, 2017
"Dear Heart: The Courting Letters" is a sweet, romantic, but very slow moving novel. Would I recommend this book to a friend? Without reservation. But I also won't remember much about it in a month.
3 stars.
3 stars.
April 14, 2017
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is a love story; two actually. One story line follows a woman named Lisa who finds a box labeled "Courting letters," while she is cleaning out her recently deceased father's house. The letters are the second story line. The letters are written between a woman named Gertrude and a man named Fred. They meet in Ipswich England in 1907 and soon begin courting. The letters are exchanged after Fred and his family move to the United States.
This is a sweet story based on the courtship of a real couple . I'm not usually a huge romance fan but I do appreciate the written word and comparing the past to the present. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it was a little lighter than the materials I usually read.
This is a sweet story based on the courtship of a real couple . I'm not usually a huge romance fan but I do appreciate the written word and comparing the past to the present. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it was a little lighter than the materials I usually read.
July 9, 2017
This novel was a delight to read, I actually tried to go slow (found it really hard!) because I wanted to experience all the feelings the story was calling from me. From the cover to the little illustrations throughout the book, the length of the book (perfect for this kind of story), everything was just right. The last time I felt like that with a book was with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society; so needless to say, that if you enjoyed that book, you will definitely enjoy Dear Heart. It is also written in letter form for those who like that format, it has art, history, and romance; it has everything. Please, please read it! You will find it a total satisfaction!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews