The Letter Reader by Jan Casey is a dual timeline novel. The novel takes readers between 1941 (through the war years) and 1967. I decided to read this book despite my ban on books from World War II (there has been a glut of books on this topic, and I needed a respite) because I had not read a book about postal censors. Connie Allinson joins the WRNS in 1941 and is posted as a letter censor (her husband wanted her to do something safe). For those who are nosy, it would be the perfect occupation (as well as those who are curious). It would be exciting to find a letter written in code. I had no idea that some postal censors traveled around from post office to post office to complete their duties. The war years part of the story was interesting, but I did not enjoy the 1967 portion. It was boring and repetitive. Connie is a housewife whose husband likes a strict routine. He wants chores done on a certain day of the week, he has a meal schedule, and he gives Connie the bare minimum for housekeeping (aka the household budget). Connie is bored staying at home and wants to get a job. I do not understand why she asked her husband’s permission to get a job (it was not needed). I would have gotten a job and then told him about it (fait accompli). Connie finds her thoughts consumed by certain letters that she read during the war. She wonders what happened to the people who wrote the letters. When Arthur, her husband, suggests Connie visit London every two months for three days (he is so generous) to catch up with her brother and sister-in-law, Connie jumps at the chance. It will give Connie the opportunity to do some research at Somerset House. I did find it odd that she would venture to find information on people who wrote letters. Connie signed the Official Secrets Act plus many people do not like “knowing” (there is knowing that your letter could be read and having someone show up saying they read your letter) that someone read their personal correspondence (much less remembered it twenty years after the war). I found the story to be long with mixed pacing. While the war year chapters flew by, the other chapters did not. I did not find the ending satisfying. The Letter Reader is a historical tale with a rough war, censored letters, a repetitive routine, a humdrum husband, and facing the future. ( )

The Letter Reader takes place during the Second World War and in 1967. The difference between the life of the protagonist, Connie, in each timeline is stark. In 1941 Connie joins the WRNS and is surprised when she is chosen to be a letter censor, being one person in a huge team that reads every letter posted and checks for not only sensitive information but also codes and secret messages.

Jump forward to 1967 and Connie lives a dull life with her husband, Arthur, in Doncaster. Her only thrill is running to catch up with her younger neighbours for a chat and being invited to their coffee morning. Her life is completely stymied by Arthur's control over her and whilst he is not a cruel man he likes everything done in a certain way to a certain routine, his mantra being that he did not fight in a war so his wife could……insert anything that Connie might possibly find fulfilling.

This dual timeline work of historical fiction felt a bit different to me. I'd never really thought about the role of the letter censor but inevitably Connie finds that some letters she reads never leave her and in her stultifying life in Doncaster, knowing the outcome of what she read becomes almost an obsession for her. The exciting wartime work almost takes a back seat to what the book truly addresses: the control that Arthur has over Connie. I was longing for her to tell Arthur to take a running jump but a small part of me understood that perhaps there was more to it, not least a sign of the times the characters were living in and the long-lasting effects of fighting a war.

I enjoyed The Letter Reader. I found it fascinating to read of Connie's responsibilities in the WRNS and both timelines felt very real and well-portrayed. I really felt for Connie and was longing for a good ending to her story. I actually found myself moved by the conclusion and on the whole this was an engaging read. ( )