Monthly Archives: May 2016

84 Charing Cross Road

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84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Pages: 95         First published: 1971

The book: Helen Hanff, a writer in New York, collected very old and rare British books. In 1949, she wrote to a bookshop located at 84 Charing Cross Road in London to see if they could obtain some of the books she wanted. So began a correspondence with the bookshop manager and some of the employees that lasted for twenty years. This book is a collection of that correspondence. Read more

Shadows on the Rock

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Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather
Pages: 278     First published: 1931

The book: Set in Quebec in 1697, this novel spans a year in the life of widowed apothecary, Euclide Auclair, and his daughter Cécile. The book opens as the last ship of the year sets sail for France before winter comes in and makes the sea journey impossible. For the next eight months, this French colony is cut off from Europe. As the novel progresses, we are introduced to Auclair’s neighbors, customers, and other characters who live on this northern rock. Read more

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman

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The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault
Translation by Liedewy Hawke
Pages: 108         Published: 2014

The book: Bilodo, a 27-year-old mail carrier in Montreal, lives vicariously by secretly opening and reading some of the letters he delivers. He becomes entranced by the correspondence between a poet in Montreal and a woman in Guadeloupe who writes haiku verse. Her letters become his obsession. How far will Bilodo take this obsession? Wanting to know keeps you turning the pages. Read more