Member Review

The Letter Reader by Jan Casey is a dual timeline novel. The novel takes readers between 1941 (through the war years) and 1967. I decided to read this book despite my ban on books from World War II (there has been a glut of books on this topic, and I needed a respite) because I had not read a book about postal censors. Connie Allinson joins the WRNS in 1941 and is posted as a letter censor (her husband wanted her to do something safe). For those who are nosy, it would be the perfect occupation (as well as those who are curious). It would be exciting to find a letter written in code. I had no idea that some postal censors traveled around from post office to post office to complete their duties. The war years part of the story was interesting, but I did not enjoy the 1967 portion. It was boring and repetitive. Connie is a housewife whose husband likes a strict routine. He wants chores done on a certain day of the week, he has a meal schedule, and he gives Connie the bare minimum for housekeeping (aka the household budget). Connie is bored staying at home and wants to get a job. I do not understand why she asked her husband’s permission to get a job (it was not needed). I would have gotten a job and then told him about it (fait accompli). Connie finds her thoughts consumed by certain letters that she read during the war. She wonders what happened to the people who wrote the letters. When Arthur, her husband, suggests Connie visit London every two months for three days (he is so generous) to catch up with her brother and sister-in-law, Connie jumps at the chance. It will give Connie the opportunity to do some research at Somerset House. I did find it odd that she would venture to find information on people who wrote letters. Connie signed the Official Secrets Act plus many people do not like “knowing” (there is knowing that your letter could be read and having someone show up saying they read your letter) that someone read their personal correspondence (much less remembered it twenty years after the war). I found the story to be long with mixed pacing. While the war year chapters flew by, the other chapters did not. I did not find the ending satisfying. The Letter Reader is a historical tale with a rough war, censored letters, a repetitive routine, a humdrum husband, and facing the future.