"84, Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff

This book is a collection of letters from a female writer in New York City to a bookstore in London. She writes for good, inexpensive copies of books which they ship to her in New York. Eventually, she and the man who answers for the bookstore become friends.

The love of books is throughout the collected letters. Helene tries to help her London friends by sending them treats during the rations in London after World War II. She longs to go to London, but doesn’t ever seem to have the funds to go.

I cannot really explain the depth of this book, but it is one of my favorite books. A movie has also been made of it, which I also enjoyed. The lesson I took from this book is one of seizing the day. Helene wants to go to London, and could do so for $360 to see Victoria’s Coronation, but instead she has $2500 in dental work done. Longing for something so badly, but not reordering your priorities to get it, is a sad thing. And a thing many of us do too often.

I think this book deserves 10 stars, rather than 5!