Letters from Skye

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole

Summary: NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart. March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive. June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago. Sparkling with charm and full of captivating period detail, Letters from Skye is a testament to the power of love to overcome great adversity, and marks Jessica Brockmole as a stunning new literary voice. Angie's Comments: Jessica Brockmole is an Indiana author, so I mainly picked it up to read an Indiana author. Letters from Skye is an epistolary  book, told through letters between Elspeth and David in World War I, and through letters among Elspeth, Margaret, and family members in 1940. I kept reading the book to see how the love story would unfold. I thought I would take a break from reading it, but I wanted to read the end so much that I just kept on reading. For me, the love story is rather sad. The message of the novel seemed to be that love is okay, even if you are committing adultery. Elspeth made so many choices but she didn’t seem to reflect on them much, even though those choices impacted so many people. I felt sorry for Iain, Elspeth’s husband. Elspeth and David seemed to think that whatever they did was okay, even though Elspeth thought Kate was in the wrong for doing the same thing. The supporting characters, such as Iain, are stick figures in this novel. I didn’t learn much about them. Elspeth seemed very good at blaming Iain for everything! I keep thinking about this book and the characters. I wish that Elspeth had made different decisions. I wish that David had made different decisions. I wish that Iain had made different decisions. In the end, the characters are flawed in a real human way. I recommend this book for readers who like quick reads, emotional stories, and who don’t mind adultery.     Request this item