With 530 pages, including an index, a preface by A. S. Byatt and a long introduction by Terence Dooley (Fitzgerald's son-in-law), this volume is not compiled for hasty reading. It comprises letters written to Fitzgerald's family and to those who assisted her in her literary projects. Terence Dooley gives an interesting and informative account of his mother-in-law's novels and biographies, which assists the reader to understand references in her letters. The letters themselves, however, are sparsely annotated. Nobody likes an excessive number of footnotes but information which sheds light on (to the reader) obscure allusions is always welcome. Space could have been found by eliminating some of the less significant letters. Having come to this collection of letters straight from her superb biography of her father and three uncles (The Knox Brothers) I had hoped to see some letters addressed to them. If they ever existed, none appear here. As it stands, the book is for cognoscenti familiar with Fitzgerald's works and with the literary scene of her long life. The charm and gentle humour of her correspondence nevertheless captivate the reader with occasional flashes of a sharper wit in such statements as “On the whole I think biographers are madder than novelists”. The letters stimulate the reader at least to read her other writings, after which this correspondence will doubtless become even more enjoyable.