7. The Letter Tree

The Letter Tree. Rachel Fordham. 2023. [October] 352 pages. [Source: Library] 

First sentence from the prologue: "Fairy tales," Laura Bradshaw mumbled as she ran her fingertip along the embossed letters on the newly purchased book, wishing it were a different title. Years ago, she'd loved the stories of Rapunzel, Briar-Rose, and the little cinder girl, but at nearly fourteen, she found her interests lying elsewhere--Shakespeare, animal care, and poetry. 

First sentence from chapter one: Laura tightened her grip on her beaded handbag as she walked the maze of paths through the zoo, bound for her tree. 

The Letter Tree is strongly influenced by Shop Around the Corner (aka You've Got Mail) and Romeo and Juliet. There are two feuding families. Each family has a shoe company/factory. The Bradshaws and the Campbells. The two families used to get along--quite close friends. NOT anymore. Laura can barely remember a time when her father didn't hate the Campbells. She has fond memories of the Campbell son, Isaac. The novel opens with Laura writing a secret pen pal. There isn't a post office box (like in Shop Around the Corner), but there is a special tree with a hollow spot perfect for letters. Laura and her pen pal do not use their real names nor give personal details about their lives. They do share hopes, dreams, and fears. 

Laura's home life is less than ideal. Her father is horrible--understandable or not. She's encouraged to court someone her father wants to do business with. She doesn't hate him. So she decides to end her pen pal relationship, at least temporarily. If she is going to give it her all to form a romantic relationship with marriage potential, then she shouldn't be writing another man. 

Isaac, the pen pal in question, is quite upset that the letters will be stopping. He's become quite fond of his "letter girl." He suggests the two meet in person...

This one is set in 1924 in New York. 

I really enjoyed this one. I absolutely love the source material--Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail. The feuding families comes from Romeo and Juliet--as does the name of a pet bird--but most of this one is from the other. It was a DELIGHT to read this one. Highly recommended. 

My only note to the author and publisher is please, please, please don't make the cursive letters in super-tiny font. It's hard enough to read cursive and italics, when you make the font size two times smaller than the main narrative font, it's just torture.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible