In short, I run a book club where alongside reading books we write a letter for each book related to the theme of the book.
For example, the last book was “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy and the letter prompt was “Write a letter to someone/something you have a complicated relationship with” (could be about anything from the concept of death to an ex)
Now, I have a letter prompt but I’m unsure about what books would be suitable to read alongside it! Looking for any suggestions that could be both good for discussion, entertaining to read and that fit the prompt. It doesn’t have to fit 1 to 1, but at least vaguely related to an explicit theme of the book.
The prompt: “Write a letter to someone who will never read it” (with the intention of writing to people or things you’ve lost, never got to know, or never existed)
by Muffledchaos
2 Comments
This is such a cool idea, may I ask how you came up with it and what letter prompts and books you’ve done so far?
Your prompt made me instantly think of *Our Wives Under the Sea* by Julia Armfield. It follows a couple whose relationship becomes distant and strange after one returns from a submarine mission. Without spoiling too much, it’s about letting go of someone who has changed irrevocably. It is absolutely gorgeous, so beautifully written and really moving.
Another potential might be *Little Blue Encyclopaedia (for Vivian)* by Hazel Jane Plante which is in itself is kind of a letter to someone who will never answer- it’s written from the point of view of a woman writing about the favourite (fictional) television show of her unrequited love, Vivian who passed away, intertwined with her memories of Vivian and them bonding over it. A hard one to explain, but very unique and touching.
And another incredible novel that falls into that category is *A Dowry of Blood* by S.T. Gibson, it’s a Dracula reimagining spanning centuries, with lush prose and gothic touches, told from the point of view of one of Dracula’s wives. It is also directly addressing (in the second person) someone who will not answer the narrator- I’m hesitant to spoil why!
It looks like nobody else responded. But perks of being a wallflower is a book about a young boy who writes letters to a pen pal about his life