Rachel Fordham: The Letter Tree

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Mere words can’t end their families’ feud, but the Campbell heir and the Bradshaw heiress plan to write a future together.

Buffalo, NY, 1924

Laura Bradshaw adores stories with happily ever afters. But since her mother died seven years ago, the Bradshaw Shoe Company heiress has been as good as locked away in a tower. Her overbearing father cares little for her dreams, throwing himself instead into his tireless takedown of his competitor, the Campbell Shoe Company. However, Laura has been gifted with a reprieve: a mysterious friend with whom she’s been exchanging letters.

As heir to the Campbell Shoe Company, Isaac Campbell is a sought-after bachelor who has never felt an inkling of desire for the women who constantly bat their eyes at him. His thoughts are consumed by an oak tree in the Buffalo Zoo—or rather, the mystery woman he exchanges letters with courtesy of the tree. She’s been one of Isaac’s only joys in a life consumed by his father’s tireless hatred of Bradshaw. A hatred that, Isaac is coming to realize, may affect him more personally than he ever imagined.

When Laura’s father orchestrates a match between her and an important business owner, she resolves to pursue her only chance at freedom. But Isaac believes their story isn’t bound for a tragic ending. He’s certain there’s more to the Bradshaw-Campbell feud than meets the eye. And he won’t stop digging until he uncovers the truth that might bridge the divide between him and the woman whose words have captured his heart.

 

My Thoughts:

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham begins at a tree in the Brooklyn Zoo. At first, the story seems a little intriguing with the concept of a blind person that Laura Bradshaw crafts letters to and sticks into the trunk of a tree. I love the idea of Laura missing her mother and clinging to her books, which remind her of her mother. My father taught me my love of reading, and he passed away eight years ago. There are some books that I look at, and they remind me of him. Laura was a nicely developed character with hurts and a deep longing for love, animals, and her happy-ever-after. Isaac, on the other hand, is a man who, at the beginning of the story, really did not have any goals and dreams. As the story progresses, he changes and matures. The plot flowed well. I enjoyed the twist to the Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet type story. Now don’t think this is a Romeo and Juliet story because it is not. Just some similar ideas in the plot. The writing is fantastic and kept my attention throughout the entire story. Overall, The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham may start to read like a familiar story, but it moves delightfully through the imagination, capturing those moments of innocent love while trying to seek justice at the same time.

I received a complimentary copy of The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

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