Apple of My Eye
In her outstandingly successful book 84, Charing Cross Road - and now Letter from New York too - Helene Hanff told the story of her love affair with an antiquarian bookshop in London.
In Apple of My Eye, she celebrates something even bigger - her lifelong love for New York.
This book has been out of print for several decades so I’ve tracked down some vintage copies to sell here alongside our new edition of Letter from New York and our other Helene Hanff vintage books - Apple of My Eye and Q’s Legacy.
Dedicated to Helene’s best friend Arlene Wolff, this book is the perfect accompaniment to Letter from New York. This is a travel journal, memoir and love letter to NYC - a charming and eccentric book written in the author’s trademark whimsical style.
Asked to write some copy about ‘The Big Apple’, Helene found to her dismay that she knew hardly anything about her own city, and so she asked a friend to go exploring with her. This is the story of that madcap voyage of discovery.
Helene Hanff studied playwriting at the Theatre Guild and has written for The Hallmark Hall of Fame and for Ellery Queen. She has written many books for children as well as articles for the New Yorker and Harper's magazines, but first stumbled into fame when she fell in love with an antiquarian bookshop and celebrated her affaire with it by writing 84, Charing Cross Road. One would expect such a story to interest only those who collect old books, but instead it gained her the devoted friendship of almost everyone who can read. This book celebrates something even bigger - it might be called a marriage rather than an affaire - and will win her even more affection.
“Miss Hanff brilliantly updates the difference between East Siders and West Siders in this lively book. New York may be bankrupt. Helene Hanff shows it has riches.” The Times
“Charming, relaxed, informal … very enjoyable to read even if you’re not going to New York.” The Sunday Express
“A wonderful, zany, funny memoir … Hanff is as enchanting as ever” Publisher’s Weekly
Each copy ordered through the website is wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a matching silk ribbon, free of charge - and also includes an exclusive bookmark designed to complement the cover design of our other Helene Hanff title - Letter from New York.
