My Dear Bessie – A Love Story In Letters

Technically the authors are Chris Barker and Bessie Moore (whose letters the book consists of) but these have been edited and turned into this book by Simon Garfield.

It is basically a collection of real letters between two people (Chris and Bessie) during World War II whilst Chris is a soldier in Libya.

It starts off with Chris just having quite a lot of time on his hands and writing to people he knows at home, Bessie he knew from a post office training course or something they both took but they don’t know each other overly well to start with. In fact the first letter addresses Bessie and her thought to be partner who she then explains is no longer with her.

What it blossoms into is a gorgeous love story between these two people, falling in love through their written words. Just two ordinary people who found each other in such a lovely way and seemed to share so much in their interests and personality and love for the other. We get to go through the lead up to their first “proper” meeting (it’s almost a shame they don’t write to each other during this time….for obvious reasons….but after such a build up all goes quiet for a while and we can only speculate!) through Chris’ capture in Greece, through planning their wedding, and putting together arrangements for their new home, new baby and the beginning of their long, happy life together.

“Let me know if you think i’m mad. When my signature dries i am going to kiss it. If you do the same, that will be a complete (unhygienic) circuit!”

The first letter signed “Your grateful husband, Chris” and the one that starts “My Wonderful Expectant Mother” were very special indeed!

It all sounds very soppy and serious so far but it is certainly anything but! It is such a sweet little story and very amusing and funny at times. They seem to me like naturally funny people. Chris is very witty and makes all sorts of funny little comments in his letters along with some anecdotes of his time in the army. There are also some rather passionate descriptions of what they wish to do when they see each other (there’s a comment in the introduction by Simon Garfield that one of the things he ended up editing out quite a lot of was Chris going on about Bessie’s breasts….you would have never guessed this was the edited version..).

“You are my husband to be, my glory, my heaven, my hell, we will ride this life together, if you were here now i’d bust your braces, you tantalising lover…”

Unfortunately (though it’s not all a bad thing) about 80% of the letters throughout the book are from Chris. It is explained in the introduction, and in the letters from Chris himself, that he has to burn many of Bessie’s letters for space in his kit. Sad indeed that we don’t get to see many of her replies, but she is always present. Whether it be through Chris quoting something Bessie has said or replying to a comment she made you always get a sense of what her letters are made of.

I can’t recommend this book enough. There are a few lovely photos throughout to go with the story and it’s finished off by comments from the couple’s eldest son Bernard and their granddaughter Irena. These give a lovely round-up of what they were like for the rest of their lives. Bessie died aged 90 in 2004 and Chris died age 93 in 2007. The last photo in the book shows them smiling together on a bench in 2003 having been married for 58 years!

It’s such an ordinary story but so extraordinary at the same time.

“My dearest, i love you with all my heart and mind. My strength is yours, for all of it derives from you, rests with you.

I love you.

Chris”

(If you wish to purchase the book the amazon.com link is HERE – of course regional amazon sites and other stores are available)