The Letters

A couple of weeks ago an internet book club, the Hoochee Book club, was started by a fellow blogger, and since I love to read, I joined. The first book we read was called The Letters.

Sam and Hadley have been married for twenty years, but separated after the death of their only son. Sam decides to go to Alaska to visit the site of their son's death, while Hadley moves to an island off the east coast to try to begin to paint again. Sam begins writing to Hadley about what he's experiencing in Alaska, and about his feelings for her. It takes Hadley a while to write back, but she eventually writes to Sam about her life on the island, and ultimately, her feelings for him. Through their letters they both reveal how they each coped with the death of their son, and the problems they had in communicating with each other after his death. They became very open and honest in their letters. Through the letters they came to realize that they still loved each other very much. I know some readers thought this book was too sad, but I never felt that way. I appreciated Sam and Hadley's honesty, their willingness to explore their feelings and analyze the reasons why they had done things, and to reach back to the other for healing.

This book, though fictional, really touched my heart. It gave me a desire to begin writing letters again.There is something special about receiving a letter written by hand from someone you love. Letters are different from emails and text messages - seeing the words on someone's own handwriting, knowing that the letter is only between the two of you, and that the writer took the time to put their thoughts on paper is "priceless".