Letters from Skye in Pick-a-Shelf

Nov 05, 2013 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highly-recommend, historical-fiction, scotland, england, favorite-covers, epistolary

Letters from Skye is in a format not often utilized by writers, an epistolary form. There's a good reason that this format isn't overused. It might seem that a whole novel consisting of letters would be easily produced, but to do it well and give a complete story is a work of superb creativity. There are no opportunities to fill in about events or other characters or settings. It must all be achieved in the correspondence, the back and forth between just a few major players. In this particularly Letters from Skye is in a format not often utilized by writers, an epistolary form. There's a good reason that this format isn't overused. It might seem that a whole novel consisting of letters would be easily produced, but to do it well and give a complete story is a work of superb creativity. There are no opportunities to fill in about events or other characters or settings. It must all be achieved in the correspondence, the back and forth between just a few major players. In this particularly well turned-out novel, it is largely the letters between Elspeth Dunn, a resident of Skye Island, Scotland and David Graham, an American from Illinois who in 1912 happens to appreciate a volume of poetry, written by Elspeth, he is given that captivate readers from the first page. The other two main correspondents who help to fill out the story are Elspeth's daughter, Margaret, and her boyfriend, Paul, an RAF pilot in WWII. Elspeth's brother, Finlay, completes the cast who span a time period of more than twenty years and two wars. The characters' personalities and emotions shine through brilliantly, and it is sheer delight to read the witty voices of Elspeth and David. The chapters are divided alternately between the two time periods, which isn't disruptive at all. The author is able to create a smooth flow with the changing times, whetting the reader's appetite for each period through the other.

Life on Skye Island in March 1912 is peaceful and predictable for twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn when she receives a fan letter, her first, from an American young man named David Graham. Her poetry has caught his fancy, and he decides to profess his admiration for her verse. They start writing to each other regularly, having found a kindred spirit in each other to discuss their lives, dreams, and fears. As they continue to write and discover each other and themselves, WWI begins,and 1914 sees much change in Elspeth's life. Two brothers and her husband go off to fight in the war with unsettling results. With Elspeth and David having fallen in love over their letters, it is with great distress Elspeth learns in September of 1915 that David is volunteering for the ambulance crews in France. The United States had not entered the war at that time, and many young men were feeling the call to join the fight however they could. So begins a new life for both David and Elspeth with finally meeting but unable to really be together.

By 1940 and the start of yet another war, the letter writing has expanded to Elspeth's daughter, Margaret, and her fiance, Paul, and uncle, Finlay. Margaret is desperate to unravel the secrets of her mother's past after a chance explosion of a bomb unearths a cache of letters that unnerves Elspeth and puzzles Margaret. Margaret has a chance to read only one of the letters before her mother disappears with them to places unknown. With her fiance Paul's encouragement through his letters, Margaret is determined to solve the puzzle that is her mother and make her family whole again.

Jessica Brockmole has delivered a novel that will become a memorable part of the reader's list of favorites. It encourages you to read just one more set of letters and then one more, until you realize that you have just finished an amazing story. Start early in the day or plan on staying up late.
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Jul 21, 2013 Jayme(theghostreader) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-books, world-war-ii-books, million-pages-infinity-challenge, bookopoly-2018, rws-winter-2017-2018, src-winter-2017-2018, pick-a-shelf-winter-2018, sfrc-winter-2018, rws-fall-2022, rws-fall-22

This was such a great book. I read it in two days. It is about Elspeth Dunn who is a published author. Her husband enlisted in World War I. Her brothers enlisted too. She is lonely. One day she receives a letter from a "fan", David Graham. That one letter sparked a seven year friendship that turned to romance. It is one of the best books I have read in awhile. I was happy to know it ended well. The second part of it is told from the viewpoint of Elspeth's daughter, Margaret. The whole story is t ...more

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May 24, 2014 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

This epistolary novel is a bit reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and had me smiling from the first page. It got a bit saccharine at times, but overall great characters and fun. ...more

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