The Random Book Giveaway – Letters of Note and Dawn

Have you ever read a book and thought “Doris would really enjoy this” only for these good wishes to go the way of many, dissolving into the ether of apathy. This is the springboard The Random Book Giveaway leapt from, where I attempt to pair a book with someone who I think will appreciate both the book and the gesture. In short, a dating agency for the literary curious.

Before we get down to the nitty gritty, first some background to my tale.

When I was a little girl, my Mum and Dad had a post office and stores in a small village in East Sussex. This was an aberration from the norm, but not unusual as such. We moved a lot then. What follows are my memories of this time, the memories of a four year old, enhanced by whispers and gossip. From these shadows there are several seminal moments, many of which could be revisited, but the star of the show has to be Mrs Sydes the Post Lady. Every weekday morning, and possibly Saturday too, she sorted the village post on a large table in the basement of our house. Once sorted she firmly tied the various piles with string, pulling the letters taut. This whole process, whenever possible, was studied by mini-me, transfixed; mesmerized by the flapping of the envelopes being placed in piles, the sound of the string drawing tight against paper, the loading of these into the delivery bag before she set off on her mission. If, for any reason, she was unable to do the rounds my Dad took her place, pedaling around the village astride his trusty red GPO bicycle with, if I was lucky, myself perched on the crossbar. Happy pre-health and safety days, indeed.

This experience ruined me. The flames of my inherent curiosity were fanned to a conflagration. I was desperate to know what was in each and every envelope, all of which were bound to be exciting. The parcels made me faint with anticipation. Which is one of the reasons why a book containing private letters, both ancient and modern, was irresistible to me. The book in question is Letters of Note by Shaun Asher. Perfect for my Random Book Giveaway.

Before we get to the book let us talk about the recipient, Dawn. My youth was full of super cool people, I was not one of them, but she was. Dawn was confident but not cocky, her laughter was wicked but never cruel and her pink, orange and bleached white mohican was monumental. There seemed to be no-one who didn’t come under her spell, she was strong and vibrant, funny and at ease with herself. All the things I wasn’t. If all this wasn’t kudos enough, she worked behind the counter at The Millhouse, a cafe that was more cult classic than middle England, and treated all clans and cliques with equal respect and good humour.

Later, when we both lived in Bristol, our paths crossed again, inevitably tribes will collide, and our friendship blossomed. We crazy danced, we went to gigs, we played euchre, we laughed; we made a good match, her wild and forthright, me restrained and nervous. They were happy days, full of fun and craziness, but it was much more than that, it was making the most of the little we had, it was being happy with whatever that was, it was living in the moment and, rather more bizarrely, it was lambs running up and down the corridor. What should not be overlooked is Dawn’s kindness, her fiery compassion, her outrage at injustice and love for both animals and the environment. It is not unusual for me to wonder why someone should want to be friends with me. And this is a case in point.

And now for Letters of Note, which touched me greatly when I first encountered it. It is book that I read from front to end in a quite orderly and out of character way, and have dipped back and back and back and, I’m sure, will continue to do so. It will make you cry and laugh and think and possibly reconsider. There are letters from famous people and those not widely known. There are love letters and letters of dismay. There are letters of defiance and confrontation, letters of forgiveness, farewells and funny letters. There are handwritten, typed and illustrated letters. Each and everyone is special in its own way. Which is why I believed that Dawn and Letters of Note would be such a splendid match.

And, to complete the circle, Dawn sent me a wonderful letter of thanks for this amazing book. I think it might have worked.