About the Book
Title: The Letter Tree
Author: Rachel Fordham
Genre: Historical Romance
Release: October 31, 2023
Romeo and Juliet meets You’ve Got Mail in 1920s New York when hidden letters change everything for two lost souls and the community around them.
Seven years ago, a letter left inside a tree brought Laura Bradshaw an anonymous friend who helped her navigate the tragic loss of her mother and gave her something to look forward to despite the overbearing hand of her father. Life would be far bleaker, if not for her beloved Letter Tree, her dear friend, and her secret trips to the Buffalo Zoo. But even these rays of light are threatened when her father decides to play matchmaker in order to further his business goals.
When Isaac Campbell learns that his letter friend is destined to court another, he balks at the suggestion and begs her to break her rule of namelessness and meet him. Her words have endeared her to him, he’s ready to fall at her knees and beg her to choose him—that is until he sees her face. The stranger he’s become so attached to is not a stranger . . . but the only daughter of his family’s sworn enemy.
Can the grown children of feuding parents bridge the chasm between them? Or is the divide too deep—and too wide?
• Historical romance with a forbidden love story
• Stand-alone novel set in the 1920s
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs
About the Author
Rachel Fordham is the author of Where the Road Bends, A Lady in Attendance, A Life Once Dreamed, The Hope of Azure Springs, and Yours Truly, Thomas. Fans expect stories with heart and she delivers, diving deep into the human experience and tugging at reader emotions. She loves connecting with people, traveling to new places, and daydreaming about future projects that will have sigh-worthy endings and memorable characters. She is a busy mom, raising both biological and foster children (a cause she feels passionate about). She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington. Learn more at rachelfordham.com; Instagram: @rachel_fordham; Facebook: @rachelfordhamfans.
My Impressions
“the children of the feud.”
“She stepped closer to the maple that was, in many ways, more than a beloved tree. It was memories. It was comfort. It was hope.”
Rachel Fordham spins a Christian historical romance novel that is at once warm, engaging, entertaining, and filled with truth for today. Her latest novel, The Letter Tree, is a mashup of You’ve Got Mail and Romeo and Juliet with touches of Rapunzel and Cinderella mixed in.
I was a little confused at first as to where “B,” NY is. Eventually, we are told it is Buffalo, and we are there in the year 1917, when we see young Laura Bradshaw lose her mother in an accident. Ten years later, we see the effects the accident had on her father, Stanley Bradshaw, owner of a successful shoe company, and by extension, on Laura. Laura’s activities have become very restricted by her father, and she is nearly a recluse. Her one friend is a pen pal whose responses she finds in a branch of a tree at the zoo.
The magic of this story lies in the mystery of who Laura’s pen pal is; when we find out, and the two letter writers find out, what will they do with that knowledge? It could be the key to re-chart their lives or to doom them to destruction. They and their families.
There is just enough mystery, romance, truth, emotion, and suspense to make this a very enjoyable, feel-good read.
Obviously both Laura and Isaac’s characters have decisions to make that will cause or delay their growth. As the reader, we’re unsure which path each will choose.
My favorite secondary character, though, is Mrs. Guskin. The Bradshaw’s housekeeper is so much more to Laura. Her presence and advice is invaluable. She is the treasure map that helps the young people find gold in this story. How I loved her wise ways!
I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“You are not a game piece. And you are not responsible for your father’s choices.”
“Even apart, we battle together.”
“The dream, like all dreams, faded, replaced by reality—and the truth was, she missed her friend already.”
“The children joined ranks with their parents, dutifully rallying for a cause they didn’t understand.”
“the avenue of if only led to nowhere but the land of aching hearts.”
“Hiding from the past wouldn’t change it.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magnificent! I love the easy flow of a Rachel Fordham novel, and this one is no exception.
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 