review: letters from skye by jessica brockmole

In 1912, an American college student sends a fan letter to a Scottish poet. She responds and over the course of many exchanged letters, the two fall in love despite being in other relationships. But the war splits them up. In 1940, as another war rocks Europe, Elspeth’s daughter seeks answers when her mother disappears. Told entirely through letters, Letters from Skye is a touching story that suffers somewhat from the constraints of its epistolary format. Jessica Brockmole keeps the letters realistic which means there cannot be much character or plot development as the action occurs off the page. Even so, the writing of each character sets him or her apart from the others and the incorporation of letters from minor characters works well to explain things the main characters wouldn’t be able to given the format.
4/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Ballantine Books.