Letters From Skye

A Novel

By: Jessica Brockmole

Narrated by: Elle Newlands, Katy Townsend, Lincoln Hoppe, Adam Alexi-Malle, Guy Burnet

A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart.

March 1912: Twenty-four-year-old Elspeth Dunn, a published poet, has never seen the world beyond her home on Scotland’s remote Isle of Skye. So she is astonished when her first fan letter arrives, from a college student, David Graham, in far-away America. As the two strike up a correspondence—sharing their favorite books, wildest hopes, and deepest secrets—their exchanges blossom into friendship, and eventually into love. But as World War I engulfs Europe and David volunteers as an ambulance driver on the Western front, Elspeth can only wait for him on Skye, hoping he’ll survive.

June 1940: At the start of World War II, Elspeth’s daughter, Margaret, has fallen for a pilot in the Royal Air Force. Her mother warns her against seeking love in wartime, an admonition Margaret doesn’t understand. Then, after a bomb rocks Elspeth’s house, and letters that were hidden in a wall come raining down, Elspeth disappears. Only a single letter remains as a clue to Elspeth’s whereabouts. As Margaret sets out to discover where her mother has gone, she must also face the truth of what happened to her family long ago.

Sparkling with charm and full of captivating period detail, Letters from Skye is a testament to the power of love to overcome great adversity, and marks Jessica Brockmole as a stunning new literary voice.


List of Narrators:
Elspeth, read by Elle Newlands
Margaret, read by Katy Townsend
David, read by Lincoln Hoppe
Finlay, read by Adam Alexi-Malle
Paul, read by Guy Burnet


Advance praise for Letters from Skye

“A poignant tale of a stubborn love that bridges the lives and wars of two generations, Letters From Skye gives the reader a story to inhale as well as read, unfolding amid the gripping panorama of a changing world—an absorbing and rewarding saga of loss and discovery.”—Kate Alcott, bestselling author of The Dressmaker

“Jessica Brockmole’s Letters from Skye is a fascinating, lyrical tale of love and loss. Gracefully weaving the tales of lovers and brothers and sisters spanning two wars, Brockmole expertly explores the toll of both honesty and deception upon hearts battered by war and society’s expectations.”—Melanie Benjamin, author of The Aviator’s Wife

Beautifully written and narrated

This story originally interested me because of a relationship that began with a pen pal letter back in the 80s. Over the decades a teacher from GA, USA and another from Aberdeen Scotland became lifelong friends forging a bond between two families, two schools and groups of friends. I could relate to the attachment forged by the written words and posted in the mail. The narrators did a marvelous job bringing the sentiments to life. Different types of sentiments but strong bonds nevertheless. Well done!

Wonderful story, one small, bad performance

This is a sweet, poignant story of love during war, told through correspondence. Each letter writer is voiced by a different performer and all but one were amazing. Fortunately, the one character voiced badly is minor. Just keep telling yourself he's not Scottish, really. Or that he spent time in so many other countries that his accent got muddled, morphing at times into Italian, Russian, Indian, and North African. It's such a beautiful story that the one bad performance is almost forgivable.

Surprisingly Great!

I only bought this book because it was on sale. It sounded decent, not great, but decent. I was skeptical at first but after the first 10 minutes I was hooked and couldn’t stop listening. If you’re a historical romance reader, you’ll love this book. P.s the narrators are perfect and you get used to the Scottish accents.

Beautiful

A lovely story and a great performance. If only love letters were still common, the world would be so much sweeter. Thank you

Scottish romance with mystery

Overall I quite enjoyed the story and the performances. I was very intrigued by the storytelling and eager to know how the pieces were going to fit together. I really enjoyed the readers except for Uncle Findlay. What was that accent? I wish they’d asked Billy Connolly or someone who is actually Scottish!

Gorgeous story

What a heart achingly beautiful story. The characters have so much depth and I was immediately drawn in to their lives. The timelines are flawlessly interwoven. And the narration was perfectly performed. The only thing I didn’t enjoy about the story was that it had to end.

Why did I wait so long to listen to this book

Loved. Loved. Loved this book. I'm in tears...happy tears...but tears non the less. If you love Scotland, a good love story and history you will love this book. The narration and accents were spot on! Finished it in two days!

wonderful

I loved the characters.
I loved the voices.
I loved the format.
I loved the ending, but wished it hadn't.

So sensitive and sweet. Well done.

The letters were so compelling and the story complete in them. I have read letters that my father wrote to my mother before I was born, during WW2. It definitely helps to have the other side of the story. Well done.

I love listening to the Scots accents.

The mispronunciation of “Gaelic”. But that’s it! I haven’t enjoyed a story as much in a couple of years. Well read by all the actors. Thanks!