Letters From Skye

Letters From Skye is set during both World War I and World War II, tied together with a love story told entirely in epistolary form. A young American sends a fan letter to an author of poetry as he prepares to leave college; far away, on the Isle of Skye, the poetess receives his letter and begins a 5 year correspondence that results in a love affair. As time progresses, the two meet and fall deeply in love, but the war is not their only obstacle: Elspeth, the poetry writer, is already married to a childhood friend who is gone off to fight in the first War. When he disappears, it would seem that the way to happiness is cleared, but the family issues Elspeth faces draws her away from David, who has volunteered to drive ambulances in France. Interspersed throughout their letters are letters written by her daughter Margaret at the beginning of the Second World War as Margaret struggles to unravel the mystery of her mother's "first chapter".

This is a delightful book, one that flows well and can easily be read in one sitting. The ease with which Elspeth and David converse through their writings is both engaging and believable, and the mystery of what happened so long ago is revealed slowly, building to twists of fate and time. I loved seeing the evolution of the relationship as time went on, and the family issues Elspeth experiences adds well to the overall story. If things do tend to go rather predictably at times, it didn't detract from the sweet story set against the turbulence of World Wars. An excellent first entry by Ms. Brockmole. Recommended.

~taminator40