An eclectic collection of letters

Hi everyone, welcome to the first week of a new year!! Since January 2024 is a month celebrating letters of all kinds, it is only fitting to start off with a book I never thought I would find. This gorgeous tween read is a collection of letters received by a pair of children who wanted to understand other people’s experiences over the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. So friends, with that quick intro, why don’t you press the button and delve into my review below…

Title: Letters from Lockdown: Famous Faces, Frontline Workers, Stay-at-home heroes reflect on the year everything changed.

Editors: Natasha Kaplinsky and her children, Arlo & Kika

Illustrator: Samuel Perrett

Genre: Non-Fiction – Letter writing

Publication details: Wren & Rook; London, 2021

ISBN: 9781526364364  (Paperback)

What this book is about: Introduced by newsreader, presenter, and Barnado’s president Natasha Kaplinsky, Letters from Lockdown features over one hundred letters from celebrity names, COVID heroes, and a diverse range of members of the public, all answering the question – ‘what was lockdown like for you?’ The idea came from her own two kids, Arlo and Kika, who wrote an open letter, wanting to understand other people’s experiences of lockdown. The letters received came from doctors and nurses, care home staff and vaccinators, train drivers and hairdressers, – people who have been on the frontline tackling the pandemic, or in trying to get the world back on its feet. The collection of replies was this book. This mixture of funny, sad, heartwarming, surprising, heroic and honest experiences from people around the world, marks the start of a period of reflection. 

My review: What an amazing read this was!! Arlo and Kika sent out an open letter out to the masses asking about what lockdown was like for everyone else and if they felt positive about the future. The collection of responses published in this book is a testament of the reach of this single letter. I’d never in my wildest dreams realized something as simple as a letter could garner so much feedback from the world!! The high profile names of celebrities, rock stars, business people, and everyday heroes fill up the entries in this book. Even the late Queen of England had replied to them!! I enjoyed the illustrations that accompanied each person’s letters and the ‘chapter’ divisions in place. An awesome read!!

My rating: 5 ⭐

Best quote for me was from Cressida Cowell’s letter:

“Man’s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out. Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.”

E. B. White