The Wednesday Letters (2007)

Great book! I will be re-reading this book soon and will be posting my review here and on my blog. ( )

Review to follow ( )

This is a love story: a husband who writes a letter to his wife every Wednesday throughout their 35 year marriage. It is also a story about the three adult children left behind, and how they cope with the loss of their parents.

This is a light book; while some of the issues are serious, the author hasn't gone deep into the psyche of his characters. It's okay; not awful, but not great. ( )

Jack and Laurel Cooper's story begins with one letter on their wedding night, a letter from the groom, promising to write his bride every week - for as long as they both shall live. Thirty-nine years later, with his wife cradled in his arms, and before Jack takes his last breath, he scribbles his last "Wednesday Letter" to his wife. That night, Jack and Laurel die in each other's arms.

When their adult children return to the family bed and breakfast in order to arrange their parents funerals, they discover the boxes and boxes full of love letters that their father wrote to their mother every Wednesday. As they begin to open and read each letter, the children discover the shocking truth about the past that ultimately forces them to face a life-changing moment.

As each letter reveals the joys and sorrows of their parents marriage, the children must face and deal with their own present-day challenges. Matthew, Jack and Laurel's eldest son, is struggling in a troubled marriage; Samantha, Jack and Laurel's only daughter, is a single mother, and Malcolm is the black sheep of the family, returning after a two year absence.

I liked this book and give it an A+! It was perhaps not my favorite book, but it was an easy read and interesting enough to keep me involved until the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about families and will say that this particular book could possibly be read in one day - I read fifty pages before I went to bed last night and finished up the book today. ( )

I thought this book was going to be predictable, but was not. I really enjoyed the story and had a great topic to discuss for book club. ( )