A review by shelleyrae
Yours Truly by Michaela McGuire, Marieke Hardy

4.0

To the Women (and men) of Letters,

Having enjoyed your second publication, [b:Sincerely|15783911|Sincerely|Marieke Hardy|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1343990820s/15783911.jpg|21501453], arising from the literary stage show conceived by Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire, I was delighted for the opportunity to read this third curated collected, titled Yours Truly.

I was pleased to see such an eclectic group of female and male contributors, 80 altogether, including journalist, Jenifer Byrne, comedienne, Corinne Grant, author, Toni Jordan, cricket legend, Merv Hughes, Spiderbait drummer, Kram and radio/TV funny man, Hamish Blake. There were a few names I didn't recognise and though helpfully you provide a brief bio of each at the back of the book, I would still prefer the information included at the end of each letter.

I enjoy the way in which the tone of the letters veer from the intimate and serious to the irreverent and comedic. It ensures the collection holds my interest and makes for a comfortable read through, though it would also be easy for a reader to dip in and out of at will. I enjoyed all of the letters but there were several that stood out for me including Annabel Crabb's secret betrayal of Marieke Hardy, Zora Sanders petty crime confession, Tracey Spicer's letter to Mr Misogynist, William McInnes ode to Wendy, the speed skater who changed his life, and Dani Valent's missive to her daughter.

What I also like about the Letter's collection is the way in which they make me think about how I would respond to the topics. What secret would I share? What petty crime would I confess? What unfinished business would I address and, of course, which woman has changed my life?

I have enjoyed the time I spent with this celebration of the lost art of letter writing and its collection of 'cathartic confessions, passionate declarations and vivid recollections'. Thank you, women (and men) of letters for sharing with me.

Yours Truly,