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Dear James: Letters to a Young Illustrator
by R. O. BlechmanRENOWNED ARTIST R O. BLECHMAN'S illustrations are instantly recognizable. For more than fifty years, his work has appeared on the covers of The New Yorker, run alongside op-eds in The New York Times, graced the pages of Harper's Bazaar, and, more recently, been featured on The Huffington Post, providing unspoken commentary on the world at large. In Dear James, Blechman has compiled all the wisdom he has accumulated over the course of his esteemed career into a series of poignant yet instructive letters written to an imagined young illustrator, "James." The result is a wise and mesmerizing meditation on creativity. Flush with wit and candor, Blechman's correspondence delves into his own trash can of false starts and failed beginnings, in addition to his artistic triumphs, to offer James both encouragement and criticism. He urges him to reach his potential as an artist, advising him on practical aspects -- proper technique, choice of work environments, dealing with editors -- and along the way provides invaluable insights on art, and life, that lay bare the challenges James will face as he aims to be successful in this demanding field. In the tradition of Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet,Dear Jamesis an indispensable tool for any up-and-coming creative person looking for advice and inspiration, as well as a memorable read for those daring enough to chase their dreams.
Dear James
by R. O. BlechmanRENOWNED ARTIST R. O. BLECHMAN'S illustrations are instantly recognizable. For more than fifty years, his work has appeared on the covers of The New Yorker, run alongside op-eds in The New York Times, graced the pages of Harper's Bazaar, and, more recently, been featured on The Huffington Post, providing unspoken commentary on the world at large. In Dear James, Blechman has compiled all the wisdom he has accumulated over the course of his esteemed career into a series of poignant yet instructive letters written to an imagined young illustrator, "James." The result is a wise and mesmerizing meditation on creativity. Flush with wit and candor, Blechman's correspondence delves into his own trash can of false starts and failed beginnings, in addition to his artistic triumphs, to offer James both encouragement and criticism. He urges him to reach his potential as an artist, advising him on practical aspects -- proper technique, choice of work environments, dealing with editors -- and along the way provides invaluable insights on art, and life, that lay bare the challenges James will face as he aims to be successful in this demanding field. In the tradition of Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, Dear James is an indispensable tool for any up-and-coming creative person looking for advice and inspiration, as well as a memorable read for those daring enough to chase their dreams.
Dear Jelly: Dear Jelly: Family Letters From The First World War One Shot: Dear Jelly: Family Letter
by Sarah RidleyThe moving story of two brothers who fought in the First World War through the real letters, complete with hand-drawn cartoons, they sent to their sisters. Like so many families across the world, the Semple family were split apart by the First World War. While William and Robert were fighting the Germans in France, their younger sisters, Mabel and Jelly (Eileen), had to carry on with school back in England. To keep in touch, they wrote letters. The sisters treasured these letters, which gave snapshots of their brothers' lives as soldiers. Many of the letters included cartoon illustrations to amuse the sisters.The book presents these letters with their illustrations. After each letter the author has written a short commentary, drawing out the facts about the war that can be taken from it. Altogether the book is a powerful and moving record of one family's experience of the First World War and a moving read for readers aged nine and up.A powerful, moving record of one family's first-hand experience of the First World War. - Education Today
Dear Joan: Love Letters from the Second World War
by Joan Charles Tony RossDear Joan comprises a unique series of letters between a young airman, Tony Ross, and Joan Charles, a girl whom he met briefly in England before he was posted to the Mediterranean during the Second World War. Through these letters, the book traces the development of their relationship from friendship to long-lasting love. With the enthusiasm of youth, Tony and Joan share their dreams of an ideal life in a reconstructed, post-Second World War Britain. Joan's letters reveal the problems of daily life in wartime Britain and give an insight into her voluntary work for the Fire Guard, the land army and the Red Cross, and the bureaucracy she encounters in her job with the Civil Service. Meanwhile, Tony describes the challenges of life in the desert, his increasing responsibilities in the RAF and his experiences in the numerous countries he visits throughout the Middle East. Dear Joan is a touching account of how Tony's and Joan's love began with a chance wartime encounter and quickly blossomed through letters exchanged throughout the Second World War, across the miles that separated them.
Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women
by Candace Walsh Ph.D. Lisa Diamond Laura AndréThe new buzzword in female sexuality is "sexual fluidity"-the idea that for many women, sexual identity can shift over time, often in the direction of same-sex relationships. Examples abound in popular culture, from actress Cynthia Nixon, who left her male partner of 15 years to be with a woman, to writer and comedienne Carol Leifer, who divorced her husband for the same reason.In a culture increasingly open to accepting this fluidity, Dear John, I Love Jane is a timely, fiercely candid exploration of female sexuality and personal choice. The book is comprised of essays written by a broad spectrum of women, including a number of well-known writers and personalities. Their stories are sometimes funny, sometimes painful-but always achingly honest-accounts of leaving a man for a woman, and the consequences of making such a choice.Arousing, inspiring, bawdy, bold, and heartfelt, Dear John, I Love Jane is an engrossing reflection of a new era of female sexuality.
Dear Lama Zopa
by Robina Courtin Michelle Bernard Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche Diana FinneganUnconventional wisdom, affirmation, and advice from one of Tibetan Buddhism's most influential living teachers. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is a master at explaining Buddhism's radical but effective methods for transforming suffering into happiness, which have been practiced and taught by Tibetans for a thousand years. It's a challenging way to think - how can it be that the things that cause us pain are actually blessings? In Dear Lama Zopa, Rinpoche applies that challenge to our everyday, real-life problems - from the littlest to the biggest. Every year he receives thousands of letters from people around the world asking for advice - on coping with everything from addiction, grief, and depression, to war, terrorism, and death. In his detailed and deeply caring responses to these letters, reproduced here, Rinpoche shows again and again that the best method for solving our problems is to radically change the way we perceive them; that by emphasizing their inner causes we can even change the resulting outer circumstances. Even people familiar with notions like karma and reincarnation, which imply that we are the creators of our own experiences, may find the advice difficult. Yet uncountable thousands of people of all backgrounds have put Rinpoche's loving guidance into practice - and have seen real and positive change in their lives. Now, with Dear Lama Zopa, you can see for yourself...
Dear Leader: My Escape from North Korea
by Jang Jin-sungTHE STORY THEY COULDN'T HACK: In this international bestseller, a high-ranking counterintelligence agent describes his life as a former poet laureate to Kim Jong-il and his breathtaking escape to freedom.As North Korea’s State Poet Laureate, Jang Jin-sung led a charmed life. With food provisions (even as the country suffered through its great famine), a travel pass, access to strictly censored information, and audiences with Kim Jong-il himself, his life in Pyongyang seemed safe and secure. But this privileged existence was about to be shattered. When a strictly forbidden magazine he lent to a friend goes missing, Jang Jin-sung must flee for his life. Never before has a member of the elite described the inner workings of this totalitarian state and its propaganda machine. An astonishing exposé told through the heart-stopping story of Jang Jin-sung’s escape to South Korea, Dear Leader is an “impossibly dramatic story…one of the best depictions yet of North Korea’s nightmare” (Publishers Weekly).
Dear Librarian
by Lydia M. SigwarthWhen Lydia was five years old, she and her family had to leave their home. They hopped from Grandma's house to Aunt Linda's house to Cousin Alice's house, but no place was permanent. Then one day, everything changed. Lydia's mom took her to a new place — not a house, but a big building with stone columns, and tall, tall steps. The library.In the library, Lydia found her special spot across from the sunny window, at a round desk. For behind that desk was her new friend, the librarian. Together, Lydia and the librarian discovered a world beyond their walls, one that sparkled with spectacular joy.Paired with warm art by newcomer Romina Galotta and a foreword by Ira Glass, Dear Librarian is a "thank you" to anyone who has offered a child love and support during a difficult time.
Dear Life: A Doctor’s Story of Love, Loss and Consolation
by Rachel ClarkeShortlisted for the Costa Biography Award'What a remarkable book this is; tender, funny, brave, heartfelt, radiant with love and life. It brought me often to laughter and - several times - to tears. It sings with joy and kindness' Robert Macfarlane From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Your Life in My Hands comes this vibrant, tender and deeply personal memoir that finds light and love in the darkest of places. As a specialist in palliative medicine, Dr Rachel Clarke chooses to inhabit a place many people would find too tragic to contemplate. Every day she tries to bring care and comfort to those reaching the end of their lives and to help make dying more bearable. Rachel's training was put to the test in 2017 when her beloved GP father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She learned that nothing - even the best palliative care - can sugar-coat the pain of losing someone you love. And yet, she argues, in a hospice there is more of what matters in life - more love, more strength, more kindness, more joy, more tenderness, more grace, more compassion - than you could ever imagine. For if there is a difference between people who know they are dying and the rest of us, it is simply this: that the terminally ill know their time is running out, while we live as though we have all the time in the world. Dear Life is a book about the vital importance of human connection, by the doctor we would all want by our sides at a time of crisis. It is a love letter - to a father, to a profession, to life itself.
Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love and Loss
by Rachel Clarke'A magnificent, tender book' Independent 'Her words are brimful of love, grace and kindness' Guardian'She writes with a tender, lyrical beauty' Sunday TimesFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Your Life in My Hands comes this vibrant, tender and deeply personal memoir that finds light and love in the darkest of places. As a specialist in palliative medicine, Dr Rachel Clarke chooses to inhabit a place many people would find too tragic to contemplate. Every day she tries to bring care and comfort to those reaching the end of their lives and to help make dying more bearable. Rachel's training was put to the test in 2017 when her beloved GP father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She learned that nothing - even the best palliative care - can sugar-coat the pain of losing someone you love. And yet, she argues, in a hospice there is more of what matters in life - more love, more strength, more kindness, more joy, more tenderness, more grace, more compassion - than you could ever imagine. For if there is a difference between people who know they are dying and the rest of us, it is simply this: that the terminally ill know their time is running out, while we live as though we have all the time in the world. Dear Life is a book about the vital importance of human connection, by the doctor we would all want by our sides at a time of crisis. It is a love letter - to a father, to a profession, to life itself.
Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love and Loss
by DEAR LIFE Rachel ClarkeIn Dear Life, palliative care specialist Dr. Rachel Clarke recounts her professional and personal journey to understand not the end of life, but life at its end.Death was conspicuously absent during Rachel's medical training. Instead, her education focused entirely on learning to save lives, and was left wanting when it came to helping patients and their families face death. She came to specialize in palliative medicine because it is the one specialty in which the quality, not quantity of life truly matters. In the same year she started to work in a hospice, Rachel was forced to face tragedy in her own life when her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He'd inspired her to become a doctor, and the stories he had told her as a child proved formative when it came to deciding what sort of medicine she would practice. But for all her professional exposure to dying, she remained a grieving daughter. Dear Life follows how Rachel came to understand—as a child, as a doctor, as a human being—how best to help patients in the final stages of life, and what that might mean in practice.
Dear Lover
by Samuel JohnsonFrom the bestselling, cancer-vanquishing Love Your Sister team, and edited by the indefatigable Samuel Johnson, comes Dear Lover, a funny, revealing and soul-stirring collection of letters written by notable Australians like Turia Pitt, Samuel Johnson, Susie Youssef, Hilde Hinton, Stuart Coupe, Jacqui Lambie, Larry Emdur, John Paul Young, Mandy Beaumont, Rhett Davis, Adam Harvey, Mark Brandi and Kate Mildenhall, to name a few, just in time for Valentine's Day. What would someone say to their childhood sweetheart, their life partner, their latest crush or their cherished soul mate? 'Thanks for everything?' 'Unravel your sports socks before you put them in the washing basket?' Anything goes in this collection of letters. If you could tell your lover anything, what would it be?A big-hearted, comforting and uplifting collection of letters celebrating love. The perfect gift for the one you love.
Dear Lumpy: Letters to a Disobedient Daughter
by Louise Mortimer'Dearest Lumpy, I hope you are plump and well. Your mother bashed her car yesterday and chooses to believe it was not her fault...'Roger Mortimer's witty dressing-downs and affectionate advice were not only directed at his wayward son, Lupin. Though better behaved than her mischievous older brother, Louise (aka 'Lumpy') still caused her father to reach for his typewriter.The trials and tribulations of Louise's days at boarding school, her eventful wedding to Hot¬Hand-Henry and the birth of his grandchildren are all accompanied by a sometimes chiding, but always loving letter.Between these milestones, Roger gives updates on the family, pets and the local gossip, holds forth on the weather, road safety, and even suggests the best way to make a gravy soup, all in his own inimitable style.With the same unique charm and often snort-inducing humour that made Dear Lupin a bestseller, Roger Mortimer guides and supports his daughter through every scrape she found herself in. Hilarious and instantly familiar, Dear Lumpy is a perfect example of the glorious art of letter writing, and the timeless relationship between father and daughter.
Dear Lumpy: Letters to a Disobedient Daughter
by Louise Mortimer'Dearest Lumpy, I hope you are plump and well. Your mother bashed her car yesterday and chooses to believe it was not her fault...'Roger Mortimer's witty dressing-downs and affectionate advice were not only directed at his wayward son, Lupin. Though better behaved than her mischievous older brother, Louise (aka 'Lumpy') still caused her father to reach for his typewriter.The trials and tribulations of Louise's days at boarding school, her eventful wedding to Hot¬Hand-Henry and the birth of his grandchildren are all accompanied by a sometimes chiding, but always loving letter.Between these milestones, Roger gives updates on the family, pets and the local gossip, holds forth on the weather, road safety, and even suggests the best way to make a gravy soup, all in his own inimitable style.With the same unique charm and often snort-inducing humour that made Dear Lupin a bestseller, Roger Mortimer guides and supports his daughter through every scrape she found herself in. Hilarious and instantly familiar, Dear Lumpy is a perfect example of the glorious art of letter writing, and the timeless relationship between father and daughter.
Dear Lupin...: Letters to a Wayward Son
by Charlie Mortimer Roger MortimerNostalgic, witty and filled with characters and situations that people of all ages will recognise, Dear Lupin is the entire correspondence of a Father to his only son, spanning nearly 25 years. Roger Mortimer's sometimes hilarious, sometimes touching, always generous letters to his son are packed with anecdotes and sharp observations, with a unique analogy for each and every scrape Charlie Mortimer got himself into. The trials and tribulations of his youth and early adulthood are received by his father with humour, understanding and a touch of resignation, making them the perfect reminder of when letters were common, but always special.A racing journalist himself, Roger Mortimer wrote for a living, yet still wrote more than 150 letters to his son as he left school, and lived in places such as South America, Africa, Weston-super-Mare and eventually London. These letters form a memoir of their relationship, and an affectionate portrait of a time gone by.
Dear Lupin: Letters to a Wayward Son
by Roger Mortimer Charlie Mortimer"Among the funniest [letters] ever dispatched in the vain hope of steering a black sheep onto something like the straight and narrow." —The Wall Street JournalNostalgic, witty, and original, Dear Lupin by Roger Mortimer and Charlie Mortimer tracks the entire correspondence between a father and his only son. When the book begins, Charlie, the son, is studying at Eton, although the studying itself is not a priority, much to his father's chagrin. After Charlie graduates and moves from South America to Africa and eventually back to London, Roger continues to write regularly, offering advice (which is rarely heeded) as well as humorous updates from home ("Your mother has had the flu. Her little plan to give up spirits for Lent lasted three and a half days"). Roger's letters range from reproachful ("You may think it mildly amusing to be caught poaching in the park; I would consider it more hilarious if you were not living on the knife edge") to resigned ("I am very fond of you, but you do drive me round the bend"), but his correspondence is always filled with warmth, humor, and wisdom that offers unique insight into the relationship between father and son.
Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World
by Jennifer Palmieri<P>DEAR MADAM PRESIDENT is an empowering letter from former Hillary Clinton Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri to the first woman president, and by extension, to all women working to succeed in any field. By using lessons learned during her experiences with Hillary Clinton, President Obama, and Elizabeth Edwards--to name a few--Palmieri through each chapter creates a forward-thinking framework of inspirational and practical advice for all women everywhere--from boardrooms to living rooms--who are determined to seize control of their lives, their workplaces, and their country. <P>DEAR MADAM PRESIDENT will turn the results of the 2016 election into something incredibly empowering for future female leaders and independent thinkers everywhere. As a country, we haven't wrapped our heads around what it should look like for a woman to be in the job of President. Our only models are men. This of course was seen during the Hillary Clinton campaign, and no one knows this better than Jennifer Palmieri. <P>While wildly disappointed by the outcome of the election, Palmieri optimistically argues in the book that the Clinton candidacy and all she experienced on the campaign trail--confusion, admiration, hate, love, acceptance, rejection--can now open the country up to reimagining women in leadership roles. And that is what Palmieri takes on in this book--redefining expectations for women looking to lead and creating a blueprint for women candidates and leaders to follow. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Dear Madam President: An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World
by Jennifer PalmieriDEAR MADAM PRESIDENT is an empowering letter from former White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri to the first woman president, and by extension, to all women working to succeed in any field. By using lessons learned during her experiences with Hillary Clinton, President Obama, and Elizabeth Edwards--to name a few--Palmieri through each chapter creates a forward-thinking framework of inspirational and practical advice for all women everywhere--from boardrooms to living rooms--who are determined to seize control of their lives, their workplaces, and their country. DEAR MADAM PRESIDENT will turn the results of the 2016 election into something incredibly empowering for future female leaders and independent thinkers everywhere.We haven't wrapped our heads around what it should look like for a woman to be in the job of President. Our only models are men. This of course was seen during the Hillary Clinton campaign, and no one knows this better than Jennifer Palmieri. While wildly disappointed by the outcome of the election, Palmieri optimistically argues in the book that the Clinton candidacy and all she experienced on the campaign trail--confusion, admiration, hate, love, acceptance, rejection--can now open the country up to reimagining women in leadership roles. And that is what Palmieri takes on in this book--redefining expectations for women looking to lead and creating a blueprint for women candidates and leaders to follow.(P)2018 Hachette Audio
Dear Malala, We Stand with You
by Rosemary MccarneyAn inspiring letter to Malala Yousafzai, winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, that is both a show of support and a call to action for girls around the world. Malala became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize after she survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out in favor of a girl's right to an education. She survived this brutal attack and has emerged as a very powerful voice for social justice in the world. Dear Malala, We Stand with You captures the impact Malala has had on girls from all walks of life. In powerfully simple language and stunning photographs, the struggles from poverty and violence faced by girls everywhere become a catalyst for change. The book includes an excerpt from Malala's UN speech and provides readers with ways they can help and participate. Malala's bravery has shown that one person and one voice is enough to change the world. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, the terrorists are most afraid of "the girl with a book." Author Rosemary McCarney has over 20 years of international development work and runs the Canadian operations of Plan International as President and CEO.From the Hardcover edition.
Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me
by Jerry McgillWhen Jerry McGill was growing up in the housing projects on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1980s, his future seemed bright: Though times were tough for a family led by a single mother, McGill was a charming, precocious teenager, already excelling as an athlete and a dancer. But everything changed one night when he was thirteen. Walking home from a New Year's party with a friend, McGill was shot in the back by an unknown assailant, who was never caught. Soon after, he learned that he would be wheelchair-bound for life. Written as a letter to the man who shot him, whom he decides to call Marcus, Dear Marcus is a reflection on McGill's childhood, the event that changed his life in an instant, the challenges of living with a disability, and the importance of optimism, forgiveness, and making the most of our gifts. In this direct and intimate attempt to explain to his attacker the repercussions of his deeds--how one man's random decision radically altered the course of another's life--McGill takes us to the streets of New York City in the 1980s, to the hospital where he spent six months recovering, and on his journey to make the most of his new life. He recounts the joys he has experienced traveling the globe and mentoring disabled children, the love and support he has received over the years, and the strengths he has been able to find within himself that he may never have discovered had his life turned out differently. By turns brutally honest and funny, both full of rage and full of heart, Dear Marcus is an inspiring book about the moments in life that shape us--the ones that catch us by surprise, that blindside us, but that present us with opportunities for growth, reflection, compassion, and forgiveness. At some point--to greater or lesser degrees--we will all be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The challenge, though, as Dear Marcus shows us, is not to wallow in despair or blame other people, but to rise up and find strengths within ourselves that we didn't know we had.
Dear Marian, Dear Hugh: The Maclennan-Engel Correspondence
by Christl Verduyn Hugh Maclennan Marian EngelA student at McGill in the mid-1950s, Marian Engel wrote her M. A. thesis under the direction of Hugh MacLennan. Their work together became the basis of a correspondence, the MacLennan half of which survives and is detailed here. Both personal and professional in nature, MacLennan's letters to Engel provide fascinating insights into his life's pursuit of writing and offer another glimpse of the author of Two Solitudes.
Dear Me
by Peter UstinovSir Peter Ustinov's beautifully crafted autobiography is told with exquisite wit and insight. From his birth in April 1921, it spans his extraordinary career as actor, playwright, film star and director, confirming his early belief that he is 'irrevocably betrothed to laughter'. Ustinov's renowned gift for mimicry is exploited to the full in Dear Me. Eccentric relatives, school masters, sergeant majors and manic Hollywood moguls are all brought unforgettably to life.
Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief
by Victoria ChangA collection of literary letters and mementos on the art of remembering across generations. For poet Victoria Chang, memory “isn’t something that blooms, but something that bleeds internally.” It is willed, summoned, and dragged to the surface. The remembrances in this collection of letters are founded in the fragments of stories her mother shared reluctantly, and the silences of her father, who first would not and then could not share more. They are whittled and sculpted from an archive of family relics: a marriage license, a letter, a visa petition, a photograph. And, just as often, they are built on the questions that can no longer be answered.Dear Memory is not a transcription but a process of simultaneously shaping and being shaped, knowing that when a writer dips their pen into history, what emerges is poetry. In carefully crafted missives on trauma and loss, on being American and Chinese, Victoria Chang shows how grief can ignite a longing to know yourself. In letters to family, past teachers, and fellow poets, as the imagination, Dear Memory offers a model for what it looks like to find ourselves in our histories.
Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl: Yiddish Letter Manuals from Russia and America
by Alice Nakhimovsky Roberta Newman&“Explore[s] the Jewish past via letters that reflect connections and collisions between old and new worlds.&” —Jewish Book Council At the turn of the 20th century, Jewish families scattered by migration could stay in touch only through letters. Jews in the Russian Empire and America wrote business letters, romantic letters, and emotionally intense family letters. But for many Jews who were unaccustomed to communicating their public and private thoughts in writing, correspondence was a challenge. How could they make sure their spelling was correct and they were organizing their thoughts properly? A popular solution was to consult brivnshtelers, Yiddish-language books of model letters. Dear Mendl, Dear Reyzl translates selections from these model-letter books and includes essays and annotations that illuminate their role as guides to a past culture. &“Covers a neglected aspect of Jewish popular culture and deserves a wide readership. For all serious readers of Yiddish and immigrant Jewish culture and customs.&” —Library Journal &“Delivers more than one would expect because it goes beyond a linguistic study of letter-writing manuals and explicates their genre and social function.&” —Slavic Review &“Reproductions of brivnshtelers form the core of the book and comprise the majority of the text, providing a ground-level window into a largely obscured past.&” —Publishers Weekly &“The real delight of the book is in reading the letters themselves . . . Highly recommended.&” —AJL Reviews
Dear Michael, Love Dad: Letters, laughter and all the things we leave unsaid.
by Iain Maitland'wonderful, moving, humorous ... extremely poignant' Charlie Mortimer, Dear Lupin'Iain's love for his son shines through every sentence of this affecting account, as does his guilt. He blames himself for being unable to demonstrate or verbalise his affection ... This is a wonderfully entertaining and moving book, with lessons for every parent.' Daily Mail'A moving read - honest, funny and sad' Woman and Home'Raising the issue of men's mental health is important ... loving and well meant mix of letters and commentary.' ExpressDear Michael, Moving your whatnots et al into the flat has put paid to any improvements in my back. Still, at least it's done now. Your mother is already worrying how you'll cope and is at work on reams of notes on all sorts of matters from how to tel if meat has gone off to washing whites. Smell it and wear black is my advice. When Iain Maitland's eldest son left home for university he wrote regularly to him: funny, curmudgeonly letters chronicling their family life and giving Michael unsolicited and hopeless advice on everything from car maintenance to women. He never expected a reply, they were just his way of continuing their relationship. What Iain didn't realise was that away from home his beloved boy was suffering from depression and anorexia. Only much later did it become apparent to Iain and his wife Tracey just how oblivious they had been, and for how very long. Told through Iain's letters and the unfolding truth of Michael's situation, Dear Michael, Love Dad is a frank and moving account of how we may unwittingly fail our loved ones, despite our best intentions. Above all it offers the hope of reparation and expresses the unbreakable bond between a father and son.