I enjoyed this story. Catheryn's real self comes through when she is faced with Selwyn's game. I thought she was a little haughty in the beginning but liked how her layers were exposed as the story went along. The growth of both kept me listening. I enjoying reading this author's stories.

I received a copy of this audiobook as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.

Ladies of Letters was turned into a TV series a few years ago starring Anne Reid as Vera and Maureen Lipman as Irene, and it was the TV series that introduced me to the wacky world of 60-something-year-old pen pals.

Irene Spencer met Vera Small at the wedding of Irene's daughter, and it is a thank you note to Vera that starts off the friendship between them and the many misadventures they get into.

The first book in the series is hilarious. It sets out the main themes that will continue throughout the correspondence between the two ladies - from Irene denying Vera's digs at her gin intake to Vera's outrage over Irene getting involved in Vera's family affairs, to both ladies ending up in prison, or setting off on a fateful road trip.

Besides the TV adaptation, there has also been a radio production of the book starring Particia Routledge and Prunella Scales. I believe it was the radio programme that gave rise to the continuation of the Ladies' adventures beyond the original book.

I am really not sure which one of the pairings I prefer, but both somewhat remind me of a mixture between Golden Girls and Monty Python's Hell's Grannies.

Mary Case is the daughter of the town's Puritan minister in Hereford, Connecticut in 1693.  When prisoners are brought in, it is Mary's job to take care of their wounds and feed them.  When Daniel Eames is brought in for thievery, Mary finds herself taken with him after several visits and when Mary learns of Daniel's fate, she quickly decides to help him escape.  When the escape plan goes awry, Daniel convinces Mary to leave with him.  Not wanting to leave her ill sister, Lizzy, but also not wanting to marry the manipulative assistant preacher Noah, Mary reluctantly escapes with Daniel and begins an adventure and builds their relationship trying to evade the men looking for them.  Years later, Mary's daughter Kezia finds the letters that Mary wrote about her time with Daniel and learns the true story of her father and her parentage.

Continuing the story of her family's history, Peni Jo Renner now turns to Daniel Eames. Equipped with only one note from his and Mary's trial, a beautiful and intriguing story has been woven.  At first, I was a little unsure of Mary's actions that lead her to leave with Daniel.  She seemed very naive to be taken with this prisoner so quickly that she would trust him so fully and leave with him.  However, looking at Mary's Puritan background, upbringing and actual history, this is a little more believable.  I enjoyed reading about Mary's time on the run with Daniel and his faithful dog Riff, especially her encounters and time within the Algonquin Indian camp.  It was interesting to see her perspective of the 'savages' change as she spent time with them.  Mary's character grew for me as the duo was recaptured and returned to Hereford, at this point she was a much stronger person and able to stand up for what she wanted.  I was glad to see the reappearance of Rebecca Eames toward the end of the story and the bond that she was able to create with Mary. 

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.

Katrina Streza caught my attention with this cover. I love holiday art that resembles things you would have seen in the 50s, especially with the light blue and red combination. I also like Alphabet Books, which are great ways to teach little ones the ABCs. This one is very cute. Each letter is a stamp, which shows that they use the word "letters" in two ways: letters of the alphabet, and letters like children send Santa (this allowed me to teach my kids that some words have different meanings, an additional learning situation that was unexpected). The words for each letter are things (the author says "traditions") that Santa likes, such as "A is for angel" and "B is for bird."

― Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road