Audio Review: Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole

A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.
 
March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.
 
June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago. (Goodreads)

This audio book came into my library as a new item and I happened to be the one processing it. A new author, an intriguing storyline, it had the potential to be good. It took me a little while to finish it because I wasn't driving as much during this month. I finished it on my road trip to Iowa. 

It had four different narrators and they were magnificent in bringing the story to life. I wasn't sure how I would feel about listening to letters being read but it turned out that listening to it is better than reading it. There is something incomplete about a story in letter form to me. I feel like parts of the story are missing. Though the story line jumped around and weeks would pass, in this case, the letters connected the dots quite nicely.

I loved the location of this story and the two time periods. The love story was genuine and sweet. I don't know if it was my slow listening pace or the story itself, but I got a tad bit impatient with waiting for the love story to happen. No spoilers here! There was some back and forth drama that went on that made me a little anxious for the outcome. 

Overall, it was an unique story and told with heart. I definitely recommend it for fans of historical fiction, centered around the World Wars.

Author Website:
Jessica Brockmole

Happy reading and listening and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child