Letters from an Unknown Woman

By: Gerard Woodward

Narrated by: Davina Porter

With her children evacuated and her husband at the front, Tory Pace is grudgingly sharing the family home with her irascible mother, working at the local gelatin factory - to help the war effort - and generally doing just about as well as could be expected in difficult times.

Her quiet life is thrown into turmoil, however, when her prisoner-of-war husband, Donald, makes an outrageous demand for sexual gratification: He wants a dirty letter! Horrified, at first, that Donald is being turned into some sort of monster by the Nazis, Tory's disgust gradually gives way to a sense of marital duty, and taking in the libraries, bookshops, public conveniences, and barber shops of Southeast London, she begins a quest to master the language of carnal desire - a quest that takes a sudden and unexpected turn into far more dangerous territory.

Beginning with an act of unintentional cannibalism, and flirting with a scheme to end world hunger by the use of protein pills, Letters from an Unknown Woman ranges widely across the Continent and yet always returns home: to family, to people, to relationships. Woodward offers a prescient examination of the ways in which we both nurture and consume one another in the face of adversity.

©2010, 2011 Gerard Woodward. All rights reserved. (P)2012 BBC America

World War II Era Worth a Read

Would you listen to Letters from an Unknown Woman again? Why?

Yes, great narration and realistic story about a woman's struggle in World War II.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Letters from an Unknown Woman?

Tory takes back control of her life after her husband returns as a prisoner of War.

Which character – as performed by Davina Porter – was your favorite?

Tory is a strong woman who goes through struggles and changes for the better.

Who was the most memorable character of Letters from an Unknown Woman and why?

Davina Porter makes all of the characters come to live. However, Tory the main character was my favorite as you can see all of her dimensions throughout the story.