FORGOTTEN LETTERS ESTHER DU

A cache of unsent love letters from the 1950s is found in a suitcase on a remote island in this mysterious love story in the tradition of the novels by Kate Morton and Elizabeth Gilbert.
1951. Esther Durrant, a young mother, is committed to an isolated mental asylum by her husband. Run by a pioneering psychiatrist, the hospital is at first Esther’s prison but soon surprisingly becomes her refuge.
2018. Free-spirited marine scientist Rachel Parker embarks on a research posting in the Isles of Scilly, off the Cornish coast. When a violent storm forces her to take shelter on a far-flung island, she discovers a collection of hidden love letters. Captivated by their passion and tenderness, Rachel determines to track down the intended recipient. But she has no idea of the far-reaching consequences her decision will bring.
Meanwhile, in London, Eve is helping her grandmother, a renowned mountaineer, write her memoirs. When she is contacted by Rachel, it sets in motion a chain of events that threatens to reveal secrets kept buried for more than sixty years.
With an arresting dual narrative that immediately captivates the reader, The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant is an inspirational story of the sacrifices made for love.
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Community Reviews
Interesting story set in the 1950s about a woman whose husband placed her in a mental hospital after she suffered a severe depression following the death of her infant son. As she recovers, she develops relationships with the fellow patients, including a man with severe scars from the war, and the kind doctor treating the patients. The story also goes to present day Britain when a young woman scientist, Rachel, posted on the Isles of Scilly uncovers a suitcase of women’s clothes with unsent love letters inside. She is temporarily shipwrecked on the isolated island and meets Leah, the island’s sole resident. When she learns the identity of the intended recipient of the letters, she contacts Eve, who has been working with her grandmother, Esther, a famous female mountaineer, to record her memories and the story of her life.
There are many themes and topics to discuss in this book. It is about the unfair treatment of women who are controlled by their husbands and are incarcerated without their consent, life in postwar England, psychiatric patients, love, loyalty, betrayal, jealousy, and strong courageous females. Recommended.
There are many themes and topics to discuss in this book. It is about the unfair treatment of women who are controlled by their husbands and are incarcerated without their consent, life in postwar England, psychiatric patients, love, loyalty, betrayal, jealousy, and strong courageous females. Recommended.
August 2021.Chosen by Dianne.