Carol wasn’t expecting anyone to read her letters. She didn’t address them, just marked them with a smiley face. But a lonely, widowed postman had been assigned the job of sorting undelivered mail, and he opened Carol’s letters.

He read how unhappy she was in her marriage, how she didn’t understand her teenage daughter and how she wanted to leave everything behind and start again.

He tried to find out who she was and where she lived because he felt a strange attachment to her and wanted to help. She had certainly given his life purpose as he faced retirement with only a cat and an angry neighbour for company.

The narrative flits between the two lives, reports on the letters, and ultimately shows how ordinary people can help each other in extraordinary ways.

The book is being promoted as the next 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'. I would argue that it’s not as naïve or innocent, as the language is a little ripe in places, but it is a lovely read, with a charming premise, and which is both moving and uplifting. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This review appears on LoveReading.co.uk.

Tom Winter's second book is 'Arms Wide Open'. Read my review.