Set in the 1960s, the publisher aptly compares this novel to 84, Charing Cross Road. When L.A.-based Joan writes a fan letter to Camano Island, WA columnist Imogen to thank her for her column in a Pacific Northwest-based magazine, enclosing a packet of saffron and a recipe, a lasting friendship is born. The women become pen-friends, exchanging letters that move from the topic of food to books (so many books!) to the troubles (and occasional triumphs) of their personal lives. This just may be the gentle, feel-good novel you're looking for.

This epistolary novel takes place in the early 1990s but almost feels like it’s from an earlier era. The story begins when Frida, a young California-born aspiring war correspondent now based in Paris, writes to The Puget Sound Book Company in Seattle to request a book. Because Frida’s letter is chatty and full of youthful energy, the shop manager taps twenty-something Kate to respond—and a friendship is born. At the leisurely speed of international airmail, their conversations begin about their favorite books and soon expand into the realms of family, love, and career ambitions. This heartfelt novel veers into dark emotional territory, yet I expect it will leave the reader feeling snug and secure, plus inspired to read copiously from the recommendations in these pages.