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ninetalevixen 's review for:
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
by Helen Cullen
I received an advance review copy from Netgalley. This does not affect my ratings or opinions. Quotes are taken from the ARC and may change upon publication.
The book starts off a little slow and I was considering DNF-ing a few times, but ultimately I'm glad I didn't. Although I wouldn't say that I was totally sucked into the story, it did keep me engaged in the plot and the small main cast. It's a very thoughtfully crafted narrative.
I was not anticipating the love triangle that takes up the majority of this book, since the synopsis fails to mention that William is married. Not very happily, but they haven't quite given up on each other, and that's a huge source of tension as William agonizes over whether this mysterious letter writer might be his Great Love, or perhaps he's already met and married his Great Love, or perhaps his wife Clare used to be his Great Love but they've grown apart now, or ...
Despite my fairly strong dislike of the love triangle, this one felt more genuinely conflicted than the "oh no two people like me what do" that I've seen all too frequently. Both women are shown respect, as are the potential relationships William could have with each of them. Getting to witness William's thought process and emotions: his very relatable desire to love and be loved by someone "worthy" (for lack of a better word), his worries about the ethics of the whole situation ... though it was sometimes frustrating waiting to see what he would ultimately choose, the messiness and uncertainty felt incredibly true to life.
Once again, he was struck by the power of letters to change lives; the medium they offered those who couldn't or wouldn't communicate in person. How much would be left unsaid if people were devoid of the opportunity that pen and paper offered to speak from a safe distance?
The book starts off a little slow and I was considering DNF-ing a few times, but ultimately I'm glad I didn't. Although I wouldn't say that I was totally sucked into the story, it did keep me engaged in the plot and the small main cast. It's a very thoughtfully crafted narrative.
I refuse to settle for anything less than a magnificent love. I want the sort of love people have fought wars over, walked thousands of miles for, made sacrifices, forsaken all others for. [...] I want poetry and passion, a particular love that is specific to you and me.
I was not anticipating the love triangle that takes up the majority of this book, since the synopsis fails to mention that William is married. Not very happily, but they haven't quite given up on each other, and that's a huge source of tension as William agonizes over whether this mysterious letter writer might be his Great Love, or perhaps he's already met and married his Great Love, or perhaps his wife Clare used to be his Great Love but they've grown apart now, or ...
Despite my fairly strong dislike of the love triangle, this one felt more genuinely conflicted than the "oh no two people like me what do" that I've seen all too frequently. Both women are shown respect, as are the potential relationships William could have with each of them. Getting to witness William's thought process and emotions: his very relatable desire to love and be loved by someone "worthy" (for lack of a better word), his worries about the ethics of the whole situation ... though it was sometimes frustrating waiting to see what he would ultimately choose, the messiness and uncertainty felt incredibly true to life.