Customer Reviews

Letters to Julia

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you know a young, aspiring author or artistic child, this is a book to share with him/her. 15 year-old Liz Beech begins a two year correspondence with Julia Steward Jones, a New York City editor. Their correspondence rapidly turns into a deep friendship, one which enriches and sustains them both through difficult times. Liz gains perspective about not only her writing talent, but her wacky, disfunctional family. Julia derives comfort from her young friend as she deals with the death of her aged parents and comes to terms with her own life choices. Anyone who dreams of publishing a book or just communicating with the world through the written word will be able to relate to these characters. Liz grows into a thoughtful young adult from a tortured adolescent. Julia reconnects with dreams she had as a younger woman, while reconciling herself to the inevitability of aging and dying. Readers, too, will grow and reconnect with their pasts from reading LETTERS TO JULIA.

--After taking her teacher's suggestion to write to a friend's sister, Julia Jones, an editor in New York, fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Beech is surprised and pleased to receive a reply. The two develop a close relationship which is backboned by Liz's confusing life which is echoed in her writing, and Julia's thoughts on her childhood, which has started to come back to her more than ever since Julia's parents have been in the hospital and she has gained control of the house she grew up in. --Since I am a writer and want to write novels when I grow up, I could identify with nearly everything said in this imaginative and nicely written novel. --Marisa

I thought that Letters to Julia was a wonderful book. I liked how you wrote in three different ways. I also liked it how you really developed Liz and Julia's friendship and then we slowly saw it break apart.

I was at a used book store, and found "Letters to Julia" and decided to give it a try. I started reading it at around midnight, and didn't put it down until I finished it (around 4 AM) - it's that good!

In Letters to Julia, Liz Beech is a fifteen year old aspiring author. Her English teacher gives her the address of a publisher, because Liz has so much talent. Liz reluctantly sends chapter by chapter of the novel she's writing to Julia Jones, an editor at a big New York publishing company. Julia keeps telling Liz that she has an amazing talent, and that she has "poetic sensiblity."

Pretty soon Liz and Julia form an amazing friendship and write to each other about everything - problems with parents, school (well, for Liz anyway), and work. Julia keeps reassuring Liz that her work is amazing, and that she'll try to publish the novel when it's finished. But, one day Liz says something that she instantly regrets - Julia stops writing to her.

Will Liz and Julia be able to re-establish their relationship, or is it a lost cause?

This book is truly amazing, and it's a shame that it's out of print. If you can find this at a library, garage sale, used book store, etc. pick it up! It's great!

Overall grade: A+

This is the kind of book I wish I could have written/read when I was 12 and in my "I'm going to be an author" phase. The voice of the characters rang true, and the style of writing (letters, journal entries and chapters in progress) was fast paced and interesting.

This book puts into words feelings I have had for a long time but could not articulate. It doesn't matter that the plot might be far-fetched or at times melodramatic to some people. Suspend your disbelief to enjoy this lovely story about a 15-year old girl's coming of age through both her writing and her relationship with an editor. All teenage, and maybe even adult writers, should read this book to remind them why they write. Why do we? Because it makes us feel like our "soul is soaring."

Letters to Julia is about a young girl named Liz Beech. She dreams of becoming a writer so she starts writing all of her deepest thoughts and feelings down in a journal. She shows some of her entries to her teacher and her teacher encourages her to send them to an editor. Julia agrees, but doesn't think much will come out of it. So, she starts sending her writings to a professional writier named Julia Jones. Julia is changed by Liz's work. From then on a strong bond starts to develope between Julia and Liz as Julia gets a glimps of Liz's deepest thoughts and feelings. As they get closer it's hard to tell who is influencing whose work. Liz is actually influencing Julia more than Julia influencing is Liz. I thought this was a great book and I think that it shows how powerful one person's words can be.

Having read this book several years ago, I can still relish the evocative prose and timeliness of the story, the believability, and the longing for the experience of these two remarkable characters. Barbara Ware Holmes should be whole-heartedly congratulated for her sensitivity to the folks around her, the brilliance of her composition, and the loveliness of her spirit. Would that we all could be so human.

This is an excellant book. I loved Julia Child and how she cooked with such passion. Reading this book makes me feel like I really know the person.

Written entirely with journal entries and letters, this is a wonderful account of a young girl learning how to be a writer, a friend and discovering unexpected truths about herself.

Elizabeth Beech is a sophomore when her English teacher gives her the name of an editor in New York who is "generous to beginners". She makes it her personal assignment for Elizabeth to give her the first chapter of a book she is writing because she thinks she has talent.

Julia, the editor, tells Elizabeth that she can send her a chapter but advises her that the chances are slim that it will be able to be published. When she reads the first chapter tho, she is impressed with it and more letters are exchanged.

Julia encourages Elizabeth in her writing and over time, they become very good friends. Elizabeth finds herself telling Julia things she has never told anyone. They even arrange to meet.

But eventually, things spin out of control and Elizabeth is forced to find that words can not only be entertaining but very hurtful. She hurts Julia and Julia suddenly disappears. Elizabeth is left to wonder if she can repair what is the most important friendship of her life.

This book shows what doubts writers go through but also shows the importance of true friendship. Written for 12+, this is a great book for any age.