The Book of Last Letters
Inspired by an incredible true story, a young nurse captures the final letters of injured soldiers – and must make a heart-breaking choice…
London, 1940
When nurse Elsie offers to send a reassuring letter to the family of a patient, she has an idea. She begins a book of last letters: messages to be sent on to wounded soldiers’ loved ones should the very worst come to pass, so that no one is left without a final goodbye.
But one message will change Elsie’s life forever. When a patient makes a devastating request, can Elsie find the strength to do the unthinkable?
London, present day
Stephanie has a lot of people she’d like to speak to: her estranged brother, to whom her last words were in anger; her nan, whose dementia means she is only occasionally lucid enough to talk.
When she discovers a book of wartime letters, Stephanie realises the importance of our final words – and uncovers the story of a secret love, a desperate choice, and the unimaginable courage of the woman behind it all…
A moving and compelling historical novel from the author of The Girl in the Picture, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Keeper of Happy Endings.
General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 30 Mar 2022
-
Advance Praise for The Book of Last Letters:
‘This book honestly has it all… Shocking, heart-warming, funny and superbly researched.’ Readers Enjoy Authors’ Dreams
-
‘A gripping and emotional read that will stay with me for a long time.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-
‘An incredible read and I absolutely loved it.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review:
4.5 Stars: Whether you are a nurse, a fan of historical fiction, in the military, or have a family member who is/was a part of the military, world war two theme lover, or someone who enjoys a duel timeline, The Book of Last Letters will touch the hearts of many. Add that it's based on a true story into the mix, and you'll be ready to grab your tissues. Set in both London 1940s and London Present-day, we follow the story of two remarkable women who value the importance of final words.
Elsie, a nurse during World War 2, starts sending letters home to injured soldiers to let their loved ones know they are accounted for and safe. Eventually, it turned into the Book of Last Letters (a scrapbook) of these letters written. It's was a precious way for terminal patients to say goodbye to their loved ones. Elsie's timeline follows her making the book and having a patient ask something of her that puts her in a moral dilemma. Will she risk herself to honor someone else's wish?
Stephanie works with seniors at an older person's home, which happened to be the same hospital that Elsie worked at back in the 1940s. Through a local historian, Stephanie is introduced to the 'Book of Last Letters,' and she wants to design a new project around it; however, the deeper Stephanie gets into the book, the more message of a mystery to be solved is uncovered. Putting Stephanie in some suspicious positions and learning the importance of final words.
This was one of those that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you want to read more fabulous stories about extraordinary women who went above and beyond.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the advance readers' copy of The Book of Last Letters in exchange for my honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
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E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
I was born in Edinburgh, but moved to London as a child, where I now live with my husband and two sons. I was a massive bookworm growing up, and I used to save up my pocket money for weeks to buy the latest Sweet Valley High book, then read the whole story on the bus home and have to wait two months for the next one. Eventually I realised it would be easier to write my own stories… My background is in magazines and my years as a television journalist, reporting on EastEnders and Corrie, have inspired my novels where popular culture collides with a historical mystery. But there is no truth in the rumour that I only wrote a novel based on Strictly Come Dancing so I would be invited on to It Takes Two.
Loving the soaps meant I was thrilled when I got the chance to work with ITV and write two novels about Emmerdale during WW2, under a pen name Kerry Bell. And my passion for women’s history led me to write The Kew Gardens Girls, set in the world-famous gardens during WW2. It’s also published under a pen name, Posy Lovell. My novel The Hidden Women was shortlisted in the historical category at the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association awards.
PUBLISHER
Specializing in commercial fiction, non-fiction and innovative digital publishing, HQ is a young, ambitious and award-winning imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. It launches debuts, builds brands and publishes The Sunday Times bestselling authors such as Adele Parks, Linwood Barclay, B.A. Paris and Sarah Morgan.
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Subscribed to my notebook!
The Book of Last Letters
Inspired by an incredible true story, a young nurse captures the final letters of injured soldiers – and must make a heart-breaking choice…
London, 1940
When nurse Elsie offers to send a reassuring letter to the family of a patient, she has an idea. She begins a book of last letters: messages to be sent on to wounded soldiers’ loved ones should the very worst come to pass, so that no one is left without a final goodbye.
But one message will change Elsie’s life forever. When a patient makes a devastating request, can Elsie find the strength to do the unthinkable?
London, present day
Stephanie has a lot of people she’d like to speak to: her estranged brother, to whom her last words were in anger; her nan, whose dementia means she is only occasionally lucid enough to talk.
When she discovers a book of wartime letters, Stephanie realises the importance of our final words – and uncovers the story of a secret love, a desperate choice, and the unimaginable courage of the woman behind it all…
A moving and compelling historical novel from the author of The Girl in the Picture, perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Keeper of Happy Endings.
General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 30 Mar 2022
-
Advance Praise for The Book of Last Letters:
‘This book honestly has it all… Shocking, heart-warming, funny and superbly researched.’ Readers Enjoy Authors’ Dreams
-
‘A gripping and emotional read that will stay with me for a long time.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
-
‘An incredible read and I absolutely loved it.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review:
4.5 Stars: Whether you are a nurse, a fan of historical fiction, in the military, or have a family member who is/was a part of the military, world war two theme lover, or someone who enjoys a duel timeline, The Book of Last Letters will touch the hearts of many. Add that it's based on a true story into the mix, and you'll be ready to grab your tissues. Set in both London 1940s and London Present-day, we follow the story of two remarkable women who value the importance of final words.
Elsie, a nurse during World War 2, starts sending letters home to injured soldiers to let their loved ones know they are accounted for and safe. Eventually, it turned into the Book of Last Letters (a scrapbook) of these letters written. It's was a precious way for terminal patients to say goodbye to their loved ones. Elsie's timeline follows her making the book and having a patient ask something of her that puts her in a moral dilemma. Will she risk herself to honor someone else's wish?
Stephanie works with seniors at an older person's home, which happened to be the same hospital that Elsie worked at back in the 1940s. Through a local historian, Stephanie is introduced to the 'Book of Last Letters,' and she wants to design a new project around it; however, the deeper Stephanie gets into the book, the more message of a mystery to be solved is uncovered. Putting Stephanie in some suspicious positions and learning the importance of final words.
This was one of those that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you want to read more fabulous stories about extraordinary women who went above and beyond.
Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for the advance readers' copy of The Book of Last Letters in exchange for my honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
PRINT LENGTH PAGES
AVERAGE REVIEW RATING
PAPERBACK COST
E-BOOK COST
AUTHOR
I was born in Edinburgh, but moved to London as a child, where I now live with my husband and two sons. I was a massive bookworm growing up, and I used to save up my pocket money for weeks to buy the latest Sweet Valley High book, then read the whole story on the bus home and have to wait two months for the next one. Eventually I realised it would be easier to write my own stories… My background is in magazines and my years as a television journalist, reporting on EastEnders and Corrie, have inspired my novels where popular culture collides with a historical mystery. But there is no truth in the rumour that I only wrote a novel based on Strictly Come Dancing so I would be invited on to It Takes Two.
Loving the soaps meant I was thrilled when I got the chance to work with ITV and write two novels about Emmerdale during WW2, under a pen name Kerry Bell. And my passion for women’s history led me to write The Kew Gardens Girls, set in the world-famous gardens during WW2. It’s also published under a pen name, Posy Lovell. My novel The Hidden Women was shortlisted in the historical category at the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association awards.
PUBLISHER
Specializing in commercial fiction, non-fiction and innovative digital publishing, HQ is a young, ambitious and award-winning imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. It launches debuts, builds brands and publishes The Sunday Times bestselling authors such as Adele Parks, Linwood Barclay, B.A. Paris and Sarah Morgan.
Let's Get Started!
Subscribed to my notebook!
