84, Charing Cross Road

An alternate cover edition can be found here.

"If you happen to pass by 84 Charing Cross Road, kiss it for me! I owe it so much.

In 1949 Helene Hanff, 'a poor writer with an antiquarian taste in books,' wrote to Marks & Co. Booksellers of 84 Charing Cross Rd, in search of rare editions she was unable to find in New York. Her books were dispatched with polite but brisk efficiency. But, seeking further treasures, Helene soon found herself in regular correspondence with bookseller Frank Doel, laying siege to his English reserve with her warmth and wit. And, as letter, books and quips crossed the ocean, a friendship flourished that would endure for twenty years.

A classic memoir of friendship and bibliophilia, 84 Charing Cross Road--accompanied her by the delightful sequel The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street--is an unlikely love story filled with charm and humour.