Over the course of this year I've developed a newfound love for epistolary books. There is something quite charming about them, this memoir included.

84 Charing Cross Road follows Helene Hanff, a freelance writer living in New York. One day she writes a letter to Marks & Co (a bookshop in London) requesting books which are hard to find where she lives. From this sparks a friendship between the brazen young writer and the employees of Marks (especially with the polite and professional Frank Doel) spanning twenty years.

As much as it was heartwarming to read about the connection people across an ocean made over their love of books, it was saddening to read about the struggles the employees faced post-WWII. Yet, Helene’s unrelenting generosity towards them and the fondness they held for her in return was truly beautiful to see. This memoir was a great example of how small acts of kindness go a long way. 

However, I felt slightly disappointed as I thought the friendship between Helene and Frank would've been deeper. While Helene’s humour and informality broke down some of Frank’s professionalism, I personally could still sense some awkwardness between the two recipients. Frank is described by his wife as having a similar sense of humour to Helene, and yet, I didn't really see this come through in the correspondence to her. I feel like Helene's biting humour and heightened colloquialism may have been part of this though, as this felt quite jarring at times.

Despite this, I really enjoyed the way human connection was highlighted in this memoir, and the palpable love for books emanated from it was a joy to read about.