My book club picked this romantic novel of time-crossed lovers. Two thirds of the book is set in the early 1960s England where married Jennifer meets journalist Anthony. Jennifer, married to an emotionally cold asbestos magnate, falls in love with emotionally open Anthony who sends affectionate letters to their secret PO Box.
Anthony writes a letter that he is leaving for NY, he wants her to go with him and that she should be at the train station at a certain time. Jennifer decides to go but gets in a car accident on the way to the station. The amnesia upon her recovering from the accident keeps her in the marriage but her husband had found the letter in her purse at the time of the accident so he knew about the affair that she did not remember. She finds Anthony’s other letters in hiding places, alerting her to the fact that she had been having an affair before the accident. The letters are so sweet and loving, she can’t imagine a man who was such contrast to her husband. Her husband tells her that her lover had been killed in the crash that she was in. This was not true. Anthony believing that Jennifer simply had not wanted to be with him, went to NY to start a new life.
Anthony returns to England after 4 years and meets Jennifer at a party. She somehow knows that Anthony was her love and the true story about the accident and amnesia comes out. They triste so Anthony believes they can now be together forever. Unfortunately Jennifer has had a child and doesn’t want to leave. Anthony says he’s going to take a job in Africa, Jennifer changes her mind and tries to tell him. Missed messages again and they are not together. Jennifer leaves her husband anyway.
Jump to 2003 where journalist Ellie finds one of Anthony’s letters in the newspaper archives. She tries to find out who the people were in the letter and if they ever got together. She traces the letter to the PO Box which is still owned by Jennifer. Jennifer tells Ellie the story and Ellie goes off to find what happened to Anthony, finding that he had worked in the newspaper library in for the last 40 years; he had never left for Africa. Ellie explains to Anthony what happened with Jennifer. Finally Anthony and Jennifer are together after 40+ years of longing for each other. Love can be found after great time and divide.
