Letter from New York
Helene Hanff1992

Written in her trademark whimsical and upbeat style, Helene Hanff transports us right to the heart of Manhattan in the 1980s, describing her favourite places, people and pets with gentle humour, and introducing the reader to the ups and downs of life in a high-rise apartment building in New York City (“the last small town in America”).

We are introduced to Bentley, the Old English Sheepdog belonging to a neighbour who captured the author’s heart; we take a stroll through the beautiful Shakespeare’s Garden in Central Park; and we join the author to enjoy annual city parades down Fifth Avenue – especially the St Patrick’s Day parade, when the whole of New York turned green.

And we meet Helene’s friends: Arlene, whose glamorous social life – and wardrobe – puts Hanff’s tiny apartment and simple writer’s life into perspective

Titre original : Letter from New York (1992)