Dear Harry, Love Bess: Bess Truman's Letters to Harry Truman, 1919-1943

American Midwest

by Clifton Truman Daniel (Editor)

One evening in 1955, Harry Truman came home to find Bess burning her letters to him. “What are you doing? Think of history,” he said. “Oh, I have,” she said and tossed in another stack.
Bess Truman thought her business was hers and nobody else’s, so she destroyed her half of the more than 2,600 letters she and Harry exchanged during their courtship and marriage. While making an inventory of the Truman home in the 1980s, archivists discovered 180 letters Bess had missed. Her grandson Clifton Truman Daniel shares them here, along with portions of Harry’s responses, family photographs, and stories. These letters provide new insight into the lives and personalities of Bess and Harry Truman during the formative years of his political life. Despite Bess’s shy and self-effacing manner, her lively correspondence offers a glimpse of a caring and witty woman who shared her concerns about family, politics, and day-to-day activities with her husband.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, American History

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lynnette Goebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I previously read McCollough's book on Truman. I learned about the facts of his life. However, this book helped me learn about his character, his humor, and his relationship with Bess. (And the same for her.) I appreciated their love for each other - characterized by their concern for each other. Nothing written was for show. No drama. The complete opposite of reality TV; it was reality.

While some things were hard to follow, I didn't need to understand all the names and dates. I enjoyed the bigger picture of the simple yet compassionate life they lived. It also improved my understanding of the years from 1920s to 1940. Interesting that mail was delivered multiple times each day! Without email, texts, and free phone calls, it was needed!

I also appreciated their grandson's commentary and specific explanation of some details.

[Debbie82 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not realize when I bought the book that these letters were ones written so early in their lives--20 years before the presidency. I was not interested in the back and forth of seemingly adolescent "boo hoo, I didn't get a letter today" tripe. As a fame of Harry Truman, I wish I had never started the book.

[mary j penland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. Excellent historical writing

[Toesnorth's mom]

good!