A Cindrella theme mixes sweetly with a falling in love by letter plot. Susanna has come down in the world since the Civil War, and now waits on Vassar students who live in her aunt's boardinghouse. When one of them asks her for help in replying to a stiffly rude courtship letter from a man she most definitely does not want to marry, Susanna enjoys the opportunity to tell the writer what she thinks of him. It becomes a regular job, providing much needed money to help Susanna's injured brother. But what begins as an antagonistic correspondence starts to become a sharing of memories, hopes and dreams, leaving her increasingly uncomfortable about the part she's playing. This is a short story -- 64 pages in my edition -- and not particularly deep, but I enjoyed the somewhat unusual setting and the way the plot stays faithful to the Cinderella story while adding the original twist of the letters. It's a kisses-only romance, which feels appropriate for the fairy tale atmosphere and the youthful air of the characters.(reviewed from an e-arc provided by netGalley)
