Despite her bluster, she was so kind to the people at the shop, sending them care packages during post-war rationing. I particularly enjoyed the letters where she was raging at Doel over some book or other that she considered sub-par (the one that sticks out in my mind is a rant against an abridged version of Samuel Pepys' diary). I also feel the same way about New York City. I could really relate to Hanff wanting to see the England that she'd read about - I've been to London twice and I still want to go back! I love reading British novels and coming across so many famous places in their pages. That's how you know it's nonfiction - no fiction author would have let that happen! :-) I was very sad that she didn't make it there while Frank Doel was still alive and the shop was still open. My thoughts: What an utterly charming little book! It made me curious to know more about Helene Hanff and I must get my hands on the semi-sequel, The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, where she finally makes it over to England. Booksellers at 84 Charing Cross Road, London. Summary : This slim volume reproduces the 20-year correspondence between Hanff (a script-reader and later scriptwriter/author) in New York and Frank Doel of Marks & Co.
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