How Do I Love Thee?

Stories to stir the heart

Edited by Valerie Parv

Allen & Unwin. Australian, Romance, Adult Other. Paperback rrp $27.99

Let me make one thing clear – this is a book for EVERYONE. Women and men! Men: give this to your love for Christmas. They will think you are romantic and appreciate your thoughtfulness. Women: give this to your love for Christmas. They will look surprised, maybe open the book up, glimpse a page here and there, start to read to please you, and suddenly they will be half way through the book.

I don’t mind the odd love story and I like the idea of short stories bound into one book. How Do I Love Thee? is the perfect combination. You can read a story (or more) in one sitting and not have to wait for days or weeks to reach the finale. I laughed uproariously (Killer Smile by Anita Bell), shivered with fear (Night of the Superheroes by Judy Neumann), and cried with anguish (A Much-Needed Wife by Anna Jacobs).

This book is a collection of stories from 12 different writers, each sharing their personal view of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet How Do I Love Thee. The authors were asked to choose a few words from the sonnet and base a story on them. All 12 stories were magnificent. Funny, sad, modern, historical and even science fiction. Something for everyone.

A brilliant book with some fascinating and thought-provoking ideas. If you don’t have someone to buy this for Christmas, do yourself a favour and buy it for yourself!