The Love Letter

June 11, 2018
In this enjoyable inspirational romance from Hauck (The Wedding Dress), an actress with a history of doomed love gets cast in a role that might lead her to a happy ending. Screenwriter Jesse Gates wrote Bound by Love based on a love letter written by his colonial ancestor, Hamilton Lightfoot. When Chloe Daschle is cast as Hamilton’s lover, Esther, she immediately identifies with her role as “a girl looking for love who doesn’t believe she’s worthy.” Chloe has dreams of marriage, but has been burned badly by love and is dealing with the humiliation of a viral video of her getting into a scuffle. While Chloe finds that her Christian faith helps her overcome her past traumas, Jesse struggles to make peace with his own failed relationships. In a parallel but less well-rounded story line, the original Hamilton and Esther are in love during the Revolutionary War, but Hamilton is fighting for the Rebels, while Esther’s father is a staunch Loyalist who has forbidden their relationship. Jesse and Chloe rewrite Hamilton and Esther’s history on screen and their relationship strengthens as reenacting the story helps them reconsider their ideas about a perfect ending. Hauck cleverly uses the play to bring historical flourishes to a strong story about overcoming mistakes through faith and commitment.

May 1, 2018
In the midst of the Revolutionary War, two lovers are divided by blood and loyalty. More than 200 years later, a love letter between them is inspiration for writer Jesse Gates' hit screenplay and actress Chloe Daschle's opportunity to shed her Hollywood typecasting as the damsel who dies. As their work brings the unfinished love story to life, Jesse and Chloe ignite a connection deeper than words on a page. When the integrity of the project is threatened, they must confront past hurts and embrace the healing power of faith to discover the ending of their own story. In the style for which she is known and admired, Hauck (The Writing Desk, 2017) returns with an intricately woven tale of how a letter links the past and present. From its epic opening to its unexpected and wholly satisfying conclusion, The Love Letter serves up the perfect blend of modern and historical romance infusedwith exquisite vulnerability. It sweeps readers into the centuries-old drama of South Carolina and the flash of contemporary Hollywood, and delightfully explores layers of social and emotional duality.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)