num_pages: 336
description: Beautiful. The human condition is on full display in these glimpses of our essential connectedness. Perfect for our times. Dani Shapiro author of InheritanceSixty-five extraordinary writers grapple with this How can an ephemeral encounter with a stranger leave such an eternal mark?When Colleen Kinder put out a call for authors to write a letter to a stranger about an unforgettable encounter she opened the floodgates. The responsesintimate and addictive all written in the second personbegan pouring in. These short insightful essays by a remarkable cast of writers including Elizabeth Kolbert Pico Iyer Lauren Groff Gregory Pardlo Faith Adiele Maggie Shipstead Lia Purpura Kiki Petrosino and Jamil Jan Kochai are organized around such themes as Gratitude Wonder and Farewell and guide us both across the globe and through the mysteries of human connection. Addressed to a first responder after a storm a gambler encountered on jury duty a waiter in Istanbul a taxi driver in Paris a roomful of travelers watching reality TV in La Paz and dozens of others the pieces are replete with observations about how to live and what we seek and how a strangers loaded glance shared smile or question posed can alter the course of our lives. Moving and unforgettable Letter to a Stranger is an irresistible read for the literary traveler and the perfect gift for anyone who is haunted by a person they met once and will remember forever.
language: English
title: Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us
publisher: Algonquin Books