84, Charing Cross Road

By Helene Hanff

Copyright 1970

The love of secondhand books is what prompted Helene Hanff to begin what would be a twenty year correspondence with the employees of a bookseller at 84 Charing Cross Road.  Beginning in 1949, she began writing letters to Marks and Co., looking for certain editions of well-loved books.   Yes, that’s actual post; not e-mail, IM, or text messages.  Fortunately for us, she kept the correspondence, so we now have a record of a sweet and witty friendship based on a love of literature.  

Most of her letters were answered by Frank Doel.  These two shared not only a love of old books, but also a similar sense of humor.  As time goes by and money and books and the occasional gift cross the ocean, a true friendship develops.  The hope is that one day Helene will save enough money to fly from New York to London to visit the shop herself.  She would love to meet Frank, his wife and daughters, and the other bookshop employees she had come to know.

These days, personal attention from booksellers may not be as common as when this correspondence was taking place, but it does still exist.  The local, independent bookseller is still able to give personal attention and will enjoy a conversation with the customer.  When I enter my local Anderson’s book store, I know I can ask for recommendations from employees who love what they do.  

Recently, I had a pleasant chat at Anderson’s with a fellow customer who was looking for the book The Man Who Didn’t Wash His Dishes.  She was looking for a copy to give as a gift.  It was funny that I had just blogged about the same book, so was able to remind her how the man eventually cleaned his dishes!  Unfortunately, the book is now out of print, but I hope she was able to find it used.

The love of books can be a great way to start a conversation, and perhaps even a lifelong friendship.  As Helene and Frank discovered, books have a way of bringing kindred spirits together.