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Victoria · 12-01-2019, 02:05 PM

I nominate The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, by Helen Hanff.

When devoted Anglophile Helene Hanff is invited to London for the English publication of 84, Charing Cross Road—in which she shares two decades of correspondence with Frank Doel, a British bookseller who became a dear friend—she can hardly believe her luck. Frank is no longer alive, but his widow and daughter, along with enthusiastic British fans from all walks of life, embrace Helene as an honored guest. Eager hosts, including a famous actress and a retired colonel, sweep her up in a whirlwind of plays and dinners, trips to Harrod’s, and wild jaunts to their favorite corners of the countryside.

A New Yorker who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, Helene Hanff delivers an outsider’s funny yet fabulous portrait of idiosyncratic Britain at its best. And whether she is walking across the Oxford University courtyard where John Donne used to tread, visiting Windsor Castle, or telling a British barman how to make a real American martini, Helene always wears her heart on her sleeve. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is not only a witty account of two different worlds colliding but also a love letter to England and its literary heritage—and a celebration of the written word’s power to sustain us, transport us, and unite us.

This is a short book - only 163 pages. But I can’t resist it, because 84 Charing Cross Road is nothing, if not a love letter to readers and books.

The book is available from Amazon & Kobo. However, they recognize my digital footprint, and won’t display the price in other currencies. The best I can track down is:

Kobo: $1.99 Canada & $1.99 US
Kindle: $1.70 Canada

The Overdrive site lists it, so it may be available in places, though not in my library.

12-01-2019, 02:05 PM	#6
Victoria Wizard Posts: 1,013 Karma: 19767610 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Nova Scotia Canada Device: ipad, Kindle PW, Kobo Clara; iphone 7	I nominate The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, by Helen Hanff. When devoted Anglophile Helene Hanff is invited to London for the English publication of 84, Charing Cross Road—in which she shares two decades of correspondence with Frank Doel, a British bookseller who became a dear friend—she can hardly believe her luck. Frank is no longer alive, but his widow and daughter, along with enthusiastic British fans from all walks of life, embrace Helene as an honored guest. Eager hosts, including a famous actress and a retired colonel, sweep her up in a whirlwind of plays and dinners, trips to Harrod’s, and wild jaunts to their favorite corners of the countryside. A New Yorker who isn’t afraid to speak her mind, Helene Hanff delivers an outsider’s funny yet fabulous portrait of idiosyncratic Britain at its best. And whether she is walking across the Oxford University courtyard where John Donne used to tread, visiting Windsor Castle, or telling a British barman how to make a real American martini, Helene always wears her heart on her sleeve. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street is not only a witty account of two different worlds colliding but also a love letter to England and its literary heritage—and a celebration of the written word’s power to sustain us, transport us, and unite us. This is a short book - only 163 pages. But I can’t resist it, because 84 Charing Cross Road is nothing, if not a love letter to readers and books. The book is available from Amazon & Kobo. However, they recognize my digital footprint, and won’t display the price in other currencies. The best I can track down is: Kobo: $1.99 Canada & $1.99 US Kindle: $1.70 Canada The Overdrive site lists it, so it may be available in places, though not in my library.