This memoir tells the remarkable story of how Helene Hanff came to write 84, Charing Cross Road, and how its success changed her. Hanff recalls her serendipitous discovery of a volume of lectures by a Cambridge don, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. She devoured Q’s book, and, wanting to read all the books he recommended, began to order them from a small store in London at 84, Charing Cross Road.

Thus began a correspondence that became an enormously popular book, play, television production, and movie, and that finally led to the trip to England – and a visit to Q’s study – that she recounts in this exuberant memoir. Hanff pays her debt to her mentor and shares her joyous adventures with her many fans.

Reading Helene Hanff’s book is like making a new friend – a charming, wise, and funny one. – Betty Rollin

A potpourri . . . easy and assured . . . A delightful companion for the odd hour. – San Francisco Chronicle

Hanff’s charm is such that when she exults . . . we exult right along with her. – Kirkus Reviews