“Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence” by Nick Bantock

I am among a devoted dying breed: the traditional snail mail writer. I still have stamps, writing paper and even personalized stationary with my address embossed on the back of the envelopes. I also have two pen pals (Jackie and Siena) to whom I write regularly, and send postcards whenever I travel domestically or abroad. It makes me sad to think that some day mail might become obsolete and the thrill of opening an envelope addressed just to you will disappear. That brings me to this book: “Griffin & Sabine” by Nick Bantock. Published in 1991, this beautifully illustrated book has an interactive component in which some of the text is tucked away inside removable letters and postcards. I still remember the shear thrill of reading this book, and the true sadness I felt when the novel ended. The story follows the story of Griffin, a lonely postcard writer in London, who strikes up a correspondence with a postage stamp illustrator named Sabine, who lives on a small island in the South Pacific. To my delight, eventually a romance develops. Some of the illustrations chronicling their relationship are lovely while others are dark and more haunting. Will they meet in person? Will he travel to see her? Will she come to London for him? I don’t want to give away the plot. The good news is that this book is part of a trilogy created by Bantock. So if you finish the first book too quickly, there are two more to dive into next. If you missed this book the first time around, it is a must now. If you loved the book 28 years ago, you might enjoy reading it again. I recently started to prune through some of the books in my apartment. Some of them I am ready to part with, but “Griffin & Sabine” will remain in my personal library forever. To purchase this book on Amazon click here.