Dearest Jane

by Jane Torday Roger Mortimer

As the eldest daughter of a prolific letter writer, Jane Torday received hundreds of letters from her father over the years. From irreverent advice and hilarious family anecdotes to moments of great poignancy, Roger Mortimer's missives are a touching and witty portrait of his life and relationships over the years. Dearest Jane begins with Roger's time as a young army officer in Egypt, and then as a POW in the Second World War, where his sense of humour endured despite the conditions. Jane accompanies her father's letters with her own memories and anecdotes, as we meet familiar characters such as Nidnod, Lupin and Lumpy, and learn more about the extended family, friends and pets who leap from the pages of his letters. This is an arresting and extraordinary record, not only of Roger Mortimer's life but also of the history of an entire family between 1960 and 1991. Sparkling with the dry wit for which Mortimer's letters are famous, and accompanied by an affectionate personal portrait, this book will delight both old and new readers.

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First published March 20, 2014

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a great fan of Roger Mortimer's letters. They are so original, outrageous, funny, touching. I find them thoroughly entertaining and admire the skillful writing style.

In addition, this collection reveals an exceptional love between a father and daughter. I think it is rare for such a relationship to be as close as this one, and it brings a poignancy to the book.

[Rick Bach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun but it probably helps the enjoyment if you're privately educated!

[Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

They don't make them like they use to. A lost talent perhaps we will never see again. Absolutely brilliant.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rounder picture of Roger Mortimer and his family than provided by 'Dear Lupin' and 'Dear Lumpy', with hilarious letters juxtaposed with background from his daughter Jane.

Much more of a biography of the man than anything else.

Only criticism is that it seemed a little too long, but the criticism is minor.

[Fenella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed Dear Lupin, I was a little disappointed by this account from the eldest daughter in the family. While still entertaining in places, it's more of a top-level biography of her father, using his letters to propel the book along. However, it's lovely to see the affection between father and daughter and, while it dragged on a bit in places, parts of it are quite amusing.

[Carol Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roger Mortimer was a very humorous letter writer but I found this book too long. Perhaps it would have been better to dip in to in between other books rather than reading it all in one go.

[Linda Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A numerous book and very enjoyable, if a little lengthy. In hindsight it us one for dipping in and out of.

[XiuHui · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my kind of book to read and I found it hard to continue flipping through it.