The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen (Review by Emily Hall)

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This book follows William Woolf and his wife, Clare, whose marriage is on the brink of falling apart. William finds escape in his job, working for the Lost Letter Depot in London where he tries to reunite letters and packages with their intended recipients. One day he finds a midnight blue letter with silver ink addressed to “My Great Love”. As William finds more and more of these letters, he begins to believe there’s a reason for it. Is his marriage worth fighting for? Or is his soulmate still out there waiting for him?

I think this book has a very relatable storyline for anyone who’s been in a long-term relationship, while the interludes in the Lost Letter Department provide some enjoyable vignettes and opportunities for contemplating life’s “what if” moments. I liked watching a couple grapple with the realities of marriage and adulthood. Does true love always burn white hot and give you butterflies? Or does it feel more like an old, comfortable sweater after some time? How do you know when you’ve met “the one”? I was glad that we got to see both William and Clare’s inner struggles with this issue, I think it was important to understand both parties’ motivations throughout the story.

Beyond the plot, I adored this book for Cullen’s beautiful writing. Her descriptions and similes were marvelous, taking something as seemingly mundane as letter writing and the everyday life of normal people and making you experience it in a whole new light.

Overall, I thought this book was thought provoking and fun to read, however I will say if you’re not keen on books about the idea of one true loves and soulmates, I’m not sure this is a book for you. But if you’re able to suspend your disbelief and embrace the romantic in you, I think you’ll enjoy this story about how love and fate sometimes intertwine.