84, Charing Cross Road
Genre: Non-Fiction / Epistolary
Read Date: April 2026
Score: 5/5 ⭐
Rank: Must Read Tier
Summary:
Helene Hanff, an American writer living in NYC, and Frank Doel, a British bookseller in London, become fast friends as they write letters to one another over the course of twenty years, bonding over their mutual love of books.
Review:
I picked up this charming and delightful little book after I heard Ryan Holiday recommend it to someone on his YouTube channel. I had never heard of it and thus I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was so good. One of the best books I've read in a long time, actually.
This book made me laugh out loud, feel the warm sensation of experiencing something completely wholesome and lovely, and made me cry. At first glance, the thought of reading letters that multiple people wrote to one another over half a century ago felt odd... or boring, but it was anything but.
I couldn’t believe how much connection I felt to Helene and Frank and Nora. Though decades separate us and I only just met them through the pages of this little book, they somehow feel like long lost friends.
This book will restore your faith in humanity and if you’re anything like me, it’ll make you want to start writing letters of your own.