The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street

The author of 84, Charing Cross Road chronicles her dream-come-true trip to London and its literary landmarks: "A charmer." -The New York Times When she's invited to London for the English publication of her wildly successful book,84, Charing Cross Road-in which she shares two decades of correspondence with Frank Doel, a British bookseller who became a dear friend-New York writer Helene Hanff is thrilled to realize a lifelong dream. The trip will be bittersweet, because she can't help wishing Frank was still alive, but she's determined to capture every moment of the journey-and this delightful Nancy Mitford-meets-Nora Ephron diary is the result. Helene's time in London exceeds her wildest expectations. She visits Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle; explores Shakespeare's favorite pub, Dickens's house, and the Oxford University courtyard where John Donne used to wander; and makes new friends from all walks of life who take her to the theater, introduce her to institutions like Harrod's, and share their favorite corners of countryside. A love letter to England and its literary heritage, written by a Manhattanite who isn't afraid to speak her mind (or tell a British barman how to make a real American martini),The Duchess of Bloomsbury Streetis an endearing account of two wildly different worlds colliding; it's an outsider's witty, vibrant portrait of idiosyncratic British culture at its best, as well as a profound commentary about the written word's power to sustain us, transport us, and unite us. Includes a new introduction by Plum Sykes