The Wednesday Letters

Recommended: YES!

This was a glorious used-bookstore-find, and a rare book that I will probably read multiple times. It gives me the warm fuzzies, but avoids the cliches and cringing that often also accompany the warm fuzzies.

The adult children of this family suddenly lose their parents and all come together in their hometown to handle it, when they find a basement full of THOUSANDS of letters that their father wrote to their mother, weekly, without fail, for their entire marriage. Including the last one, which he wrote immediately after his wife died in his arms and before he takes his own life / dies of heartbreak. Reading through the letters reveals some intensities of their parent's marriages they had never known, and deeply rattles show more all the kids as their images of their parents - and themselves - changes forever.

Also, the "Epilogue" and its presentation KILLS ME with how adorable it is!!!! All I'll say: read to THE VERY END OF THE BOOK. show less

I put this book on a "to be read" list probably back near when it was first published--yes, I'm a little behind in my requesting from the library. I think I was intrigued by the idea of someone writing a letter every week.

I would guess this falls into a more "literary fiction" category, mostly because the back cover blurb mentions the letters revealing a family secret--and then it takes a while before the kids find the letters and then a while more before they discover the secret--like about 150 or so pages into the book. I didn't like waiting that long to find out what the secret was.

There were also lots of hints that Malcolm had done something before he fled to Brazil--and it took a while to reveal what that was too, which left me a show more little confused and frustrated because it felt like everyone was in on the secret except us readers.

I had two options for the father and one of the two was the correct one--in fact, it was the first one I'd identified as a possibility. This book isn't meant as a mystery so maybe there wasn't as much effort to conceal the identity as there might have been for that genre. show less

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 show more 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. show less

This was a pleasurable read. The tone was melancholy, but the message sweet. I was touched by the relationship of the late parents; impressed by the husband's commitment to write his wife a letter every Wednesday of their marriage. When the couple die unexpectedly, romanticized by the fact that husband and wife pass away in eachother's arms, their children come together for the first time in years to see to the necessary final arrangements. Discovering their father's 'Wednesday letters' these adult children come to learn more about their parents....and themsleves.....than they ever bargained for. This book is a quick, easy read definitley worthy of your time.

I picked this book up from a chain grocery store book aisle so, honestly, I wasn't expecting much. It did not disappoint. I read it in the space of about 5 hours the day my husband flew off to a 3 day business conference.

In this story, a couple married for 39 years pass away within hours of each other, causing their three adult children and estranged family to gather together in the small town Virginia home where the old couple had retired to manage a bed and breakfast. While going through their parents' things, they discover boxes and boxes of letters that their father had written to their mother every Wednesday while they were married. Through the letters, the siblings d
learn family secrets that change the way they think about show more themselves and their places in the world. The underlying moral of forgiveness being paramount to a life well-lived is unmistakable throughout the novella.

What drew me to this book was the epilogue, which was cleverly presented as a folded sheet of paper in a sealed envelope affixed to the back cover of the book. It felt like a neat treat for having finished reading the book.. and it truly was! Still, for such a clever attention to detail, I'd hoped for more than the book offered, but what it did offer was good enough to pass a lonely Sunday evening.

Some of the reviews I read about this book said it felt like a Hallmark movie, but I disagree; rather, I think it would find a place on the old Lifetime Movie Network due to some of the mature themes described that become pivotal to the plot. It's really not more complex than that -- but, again, I didn't expect it to be a blockbuster, given where I found this book.

3 of 5 stars. If you're looking for a beach book or to kill some time, like I was, this is a pretty ok book with a feel-good ending. show less

A sweet love story about a long married couple who die on the same night. Jack, the husband wrote a letter every Wedsday to his wife, Laurel. These boxes of letters are found by their three children during the weekend of the funeral. This story takes place in Woodstock, Va in the beautiful Shenandoah mountains, an area that I know well and love. After reading this book, I want to move there! A very sweet book that was a comfort to read.

This is a special book. It's not one of those parable-type stories that teaches a lesson about forgiveness—it's a book that shows you how forgiveness works in real life. I know this book is fiction, but it had a nonfiction feel to it. And like a lot of other readers, I'm tempted to start a Wednesday Letters-esque tradition in my own life.