Duchess of Bloomsbury Street [Paperback]

Helene Hanff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

A zesty memoir of the celebrated writer's travels to England where she meets the cherished friends from 84, Charing Cross Road.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a sequel to her book 84, Charing Cross Road, New Yorker Hanff travels to England to meet her pen pals firsthand.

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Helene Hanff is the author of APPLE OF MY EYE, 84,CHARING CROSS ROAD, LETTER FROM NEW YORK, Q'S LEGACY and UNDERFOOT IN SHOW BUSINESS. She wrote a number of books for young readers the best known being MOVERS AND SHAKERS and TERRIBLE THOMAS. Born in Philadelphia, Helene lived most of her life in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Moyer Bell and its subsidiaries; 2 edition (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155921144X
• ISBN-13: 978-1559211444
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #849,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Be Prepared To Hop A Plane To London, October 19, 2000

By 

Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Duchess of Bloomsbury Street (Paperback)

Perhaps nothing will make you want to see London as much as reading this inspired sequel to "84, Charing Cross Road." Reading this book was like visiting London with a dear friend. I loved the images Helene evoked: entering Claridge's for a fashionable lunch just like Noel Coward's characters; gawking at Elizabeth Barrett's home in Wimpole Street; thrilling at the sight of Dickens' home in Doughty Street; seeing a play at the Old Vic; watching the flag fly at Windsor Castle signalling the Queen is in residence; making a purchase at Harrod's , and so much more. What a great book to read before flying across The Pond yourself.

Duchess chronicles the second part of Helene's story when she finally makes the trip of a lifetime and visits the England she has hungered for all her life. Her meeting with the Doel family and other characters is heartwarming and proves that dreams do come true!

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An overdue trip,a dream fulfilled, March 4, 2001

By 

Jenny - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duchess of Bloomsbury Street (Paperback)

Helene Hanff was a writer whose dream was to go to London and experienced the Englishness she read and saw on movies. She yearned to see it for herself,she was unable to do so in her 20 years letters correspondence with Frank. At last, her chance arrived when she was invited to go... This book is more like a sequel to "84 Charing Cross Road", Helene long overdue visit to London. Like her diary, this is a collection of her encounters, thoughts and emotions when she finally stepped foot on London,her feeling for the book store-Marks & Co. and her meeting with Frank's wife,Nora and daughter,Sheila.An enchanting book filled with Helene's passion for London. In this journal, Helene expressed her love for London and books. Accounted her sights and thoughts and answered a few doubts about "84 Charing Cross Road". It's full of brilliant,facetious comments and of course a page-turner!

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars required reading for any booklover visiting London, October 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Duchess of Bloomsbury Street (Paperback)

I first read this book and 84, CHARING CROSS ROAD ten years before visiting London for the first time. Before I made my second trip (this time travelling with my mother), I reread them and all but forced my mother to do the same. So strong an effect did they have on both of us that when we walked past the Kenilworth Hotel and I mentioned to my mother that that was where Helene had stayed, she didn't even ask, "Helene who?" And we were both touched to see that, although Marks and Co. is long gone, there is now a plaque on Charing Cross Road indicating where it once stood, so that all who loved the books can feel a little closer to Helene and Frank.