Helene Hanff
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff consists of a twenty-year correspondence primarily between Helene Hanff, an American writer; and Frank Doel, a bookseller at Marks & Co., a bookstore in London’s Charing Cross Road.
These letters are an absolute delight. The two share an obvious love of English literature as well as a very evident enjoyment in receiving one another’s letters. Helene’s requests for books are peppered with humor and an extensive knowledge of English literature. In between sharing intermittent smatterings of her life in New York and her many writing projects, she jokes, pleads, and cajoles Frank Doel to send her specific editions of cherished books. She chastises him when he sends her books that don’t meet her standards. For his part, Doel strives to meet her every request. His letters ooze with delight when he is able to find just what she wants.
Beginning in 1949, their correspondence lasts twenty years. In that period, Helene becomes a celebrity in the bookstore. She corresponds with the other staff members and with Frank’s wife, daughters, and neighbor. When her American friends visit the bookstore, they are treated as honored guests by the staff who shower them with profuse praise and appreciation for Ms. Hanff.
England of 1949 is still experiencing the crippling after-effects of WWII, including limited rations. Helene sends the staff meat, chocolate, eggs, and other staples that are hard to come by in England. They reciprocate by sending her gifts of books and a beautifully embroidered table-cloth.
In spite of her efforts to save enough money to visit England, and in spite of the numerous invitations to stay in their homes, Helene is never able to visit England or to meet face-to-face with the staff of her beloved bookstore. Sadly, after twenty years, the correspondence ends with the untimely death of Frank Doel from complications of a ruptured appendix.
A quick read and a delightfully charming classic.