Summary

To lose someone close to you is a terrible tragedy and those who are left behind often wish they could have known more about the thoughts and feelings of the person they lost prior to their death. For those involved in conflicts, who have a terminal illness, or who are contemplating suicide, a letter to their loved one who remains is a way of communicating their emotion and leaves behind a potent, tangible reminder; it is a gift to ease emotional suffering. Twenty-two-year-old gunner Lee Thornton was shot on patrol in Basra in 2006. Before he died, he wrote a touching letter to his fiancée, Helen, saying "You have shown me what love is and what it feels like to be loved." Captain E. F. Lubbock was a pilot in World War I. He wrote his last letter to his mother in November 1915, with strict instructions for it to be sent only in the event of his death. Sadly, it had to be posted. He begs his mother to "try not to let it be too great a blow to you, try and conquer your own sorrow and to live cheerfully." This deeply moving yet uplifting book is an amazing insight into the complexity of human emotions.