My Dear Bessie: A Love Story In Letters

Through letters written across continents during World War II, two former co-workers find love

Twenty hours have gone since I last wrote. I have been thinking of you. I shall think of you until I post this, and until you get it. Can you feel, as you read these words, that I am thinking of you now; aglow, alive, alert at the thought that you are in the same world, and by some strange chance loving me.

In September 1943, Chris Barker was serving as a signalman in North Africa when he decided to brighten the long days of war by writing to old friends. One of these was Bessie Moore, a former work colleague. The unexpected warmth of Bessie's reply changed their lives forever. Crossing continents and years, their funny, affectionate, and intensely personal letters are a remarkable portrait of a love played out against the backdrop of World War II. Above all, their story is a stirring example of the power of letters to transform ordinary lives.