Special Words

Notes for When You
Don't Know What to Say

By Joyce Landorf Heatherly
Moorings, $19.99

ISBN 03454030100

Rediscover a Fine Art

Review by Leticia Berry

Recently I was reading the letters of John Adams, and it occurred to me that he wrote all those by hand. Sitting at a desk, dipping his quill, he filled page after page with descriptions of the young nation, his home and family matters, his health, his aspirations and hopes. Now we are more likely to communicate with someone we know by picking up a phone or buying a card with the sentiment already written and simply signing our name.

Rediscovering the fine practice of putting your thoughts on paper for another to read and keep is the principal goal of Special Words by Joyce Landorf Heatherley. The fountain pen on the book's cover suggests what she has in mind--taking time to write by hand what you and you alone can say to another. Fifteen different kinds of letters with many examples under each kind (more than 200 in all) are laid out for readers. There are examples for special days, letters of thanks, love notes, apologies, letters to neighbors, to the sick and the hurting, etc. Each chapter is introduced with a warm and helpful letter from Heatherley that starts "My dear Reader" and centers readers on the particular kind of letter being treated in that chapter.

Two chapters deserve special mention: Special Words for Difficult Relationships and Special Words about Breast Cancer. Heatherley does not exclude the hard and personally threatening letters from this collection.

You will want to read this book for inspiration as well as motivation. In fact May is the time to pick up a pen and begin a note to your mother--right after you read pages 15 through 20.

Leticia Berry is a frequent reviewer of Christian books from Columbia, TN.

Copyright ©1996, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com