The Letter Tree - Rachel Fordham - ★★★★.½

AUTHOR: Rachel Fordham

NARRATOR: Kira Fixx

GENRE: Historical Romance-Drama

RATING: 4.5 stars

In a Nutshell: After a long wait, I read a novel that delivers exactly what it promises and exactly as per its genre. Loved this beautiful story with loveable lead characters and an old-world charm to its writing. Think ‘Romeo & Juliet’ crossed with ‘You’ve Got Mail’ in a Jazz Age setting.

Story Synopsis:

Buffalo, New York. 1924. It has been many years since the Campbell and Bradshaw families feuded, split their joint shoe business, and stopped speaking with each other. No one knows the reasons behind their fight, not even the heirs of the families.

Laura Bradshaw, 21, loves books and animals. However, after the death of her mother, her father has been focussed only on his shoe company, and wants Laura to marry a new business partner to expand the company. The only source of joy in Laura’s life, other than her pet parrot and her loving housekeeper, is her mysterious pen pal, with whom she has been exchanging letters since seven years by using a hollow in the maple tree at the local zoo as a ‘letter box’.

Isaac Campbell, 23, wants to be more involves in Campbell Shoes, but his father is reluctant to give him a greater role. His overprotective mother is only concerned about him getting married to the right girl. Isaac finds respite only in words of his secret friend who, through her letters, has provided the comfort and friendship he needs.

Do Laura and Isaac know that they are corresponding with the “enemy”? What will happen when their families learn about the letters?

The story comes to us in the limited third person perspectives of Laura and Isaac.

Bookish Yays:

😍 The prologue set in 1917 gives the book the perfect start.

😍 Laura and Isaac are wonderful leads for this story. As they are still young adults, their actions sometimes seem impulsive. But on the whole, they are carved in a way that made me root for them. Both have vulnerabilities that they overcome with the support of their loved ones and with their own determination.

😍 I loved the role of the maple tree! It has a properly sketched presence in the story that justifies its being the title of the book. It was nice to see many key scenes occur under or around the tree.

😍 Many elements from the Jazz Age are a vital part of the storyline. From flagpole sitting competitions to daredevilry in a bid to set new records to the dance halls, the story incorporates enough of historical events without anything seeming forced. The beautiful writing further enlivens the spirit of the era.

😍 The story is neither fast nor slow, moving ahead at a relaxed tempo that worked well for me. This gives the characters and the plot enough of breathing space.

😍 I loved how good old letter writing had a role to play in the union of the star-crossed lovers. The letters are used well in the plot, and through them, we get an added glimpse of the developing feelings of the lead pair.

😍 As this was a book by a Christian publisher, I expected it to have a strong thread of faith. But there’s hardly any religious content herein. I didn’t mind this, as I anyway don’t like overly preachy stuff. Plus, the Christian tag ensured that the romance stayed clean, with only a few kisses.

😍 On that note, I loved the romance!! It was my kind of a love story – a slow, steady growth of friendship to love, but also with shades of enemies to lovers. No steam, no silly antics, no whiny females or buff males. Just two regular people falling for each other based on a connection of souls and not bodies. Perfect!

😍 There are also two mysteries in the book – one connected to the rift between the Campbells and the Bradshaws, and the other connected to a secondary character. Both were interesting, and both were resolved satisfactorily.

😍 The author’s note at the end clarifies the facts and the fiction. I love how she began her note by saying that she loved reading such notes and historical clarifications as a reader, and hence writes the same for her readers. Thank you!

Bookish Mixed Bags:

😐 Other than Laura’s housekeeper Miss Guskin and Isaac’s best friend (Forgot his name!), the remaining secondary characters are mostly clichéd. Be it the parents or other potential love interests, none broke the mould. This was the biggest shortcoming of the story, as all the goodwill gained by the good characters was nullified by the stock ones.

😐 The Buffalo zoo also has a vital role to play in the plot. Courtesy Laura’s love for animals and the zoo being a frequent location in the story for a rendezvous, we get a great glimpse of the animals therein. It is a bit too cutesy to be realistic, but this wasn’t meant to be literary fiction, so the focus stays on the positive side of the zoo.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:

The audiobook, clocking at 10 hrs 39 min, was narrated by Kira Fixx. She does handle the narration well, though I admit I had a tough time getting used to the high pitch of her voice. The accent didn’t cause me any trouble though. She had a lovely smooth way of speaking out sentences that suited Laura’s personality perfectly. I’d have loved to see a male narrator voicing Isaac’s chapters, though Fixx does handle male voices fairly well.

All in all, this is exactly what you would expect from a historical romantic drama, plus a little more. It might not be path-breaking fiction and is mostly predictable, as is common with this genre. However, it delivers on everything it promises.

Definitely recommended when you are looking for a soothing historical read with a lovely mix of sweet romance and family mystery. Not for those who want insta love or steamy action.

My thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Letter Tree”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.