Phoebe Honeycutt, known to the neighborhood kids as Aunt Bee, begins writing letters and sending care packages of cookies to John Caldwell, a soldier serving in Iraq.  His letters to her are a comfort in her busy but lonely life as she and John establish a close friendship. John believes “Aunt Bee” is like the one on the old TV program, a delightful, elderly woman and confides his secrets to her about the woman who broke his heart.  Imagine John’s surprise when he returns to his hometown for his grandmother’s funeral to discover that “Aunt Bee” is a young and beautiful woman.

The third main character is a young boy, Tommy, who was left to the care of his grandmother by his mother, the very woman who broke John’s heart years ago. Tommy has become a permanent fixture at Bee’s house, helping her make cookies for soldiers and tagging along as she takes care of a strawberry farm for her aunt.  Since she cannot have children of her own, Bee mothers the abandoned boy and grows to love him as if he were her own. Complications set in when Bee finds that she is falling in love with John, who will be leaving to return to his military duties and when Tommy’s biological mother comes to take the boy away when his grandmother dies.  Phoebe, who feels flawed because she cannot have children of her own, faces a lonely and barren future unless the fates decide to intervene.

Letters From Home by Jo Barrett was a heart-warming experience.  I found myself hoping so much for a good outcome for the three main characters.  The hometown feel of the story made me want to live inside these pages.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a romance that uplifts the heart and leaves one feeling satiated with happiness.