My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters Audiobook By Chris Barker, Bessie Moore cover art

My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters

A BBC Radio 4 Adaptation

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters

By: Chris Barker, Bessie Moore
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jane Slavin, Louise Brealey
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $13.07

Buy for $13.07

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Benedict Cumberbatch and Louise Brealey read a love story in letters, played out against the backdrop of the Second World War.

'Can you feel, as you read these words, that I am thinking of you now; aglow, alive, alert at the thought that you are in the same world, and by some strange chance loving me.'

A small blue box opened in 2008 revealed a wartime world of love, longing and frustration. Inside were bundles and bundles of letters written neatly in pen, in pencil, on thin blue airmail paper or headed army notepaper. Envelopes covered in postmarks, redirections, censor's stamps. A love affair in letters between two people who barely knew each other, thousands of miles apart, in the middle of a war, with no idea when or whether they would ever see each other again.

On September 5th, 1943, Chris Barker, a signalman stationed near Tobruk in North Africa, decided to write to a former work colleague, Bessie Moore, a Morse code interpreter at the Foreign Office back in London. The unexpected warmth of Bessie's reply changed their lives forever.

Chris and Bessie's love letters first appeared in Simon Garfield's book To the Letter. They toured literary festivals as part of Letters Live before being published in a book, My Dear Bessie.

Written by Chris Barker and Bessie Moore.

Letters compiled by Simon Garfield.

Adapted by Sara Davies.

Produced and directed by Gemma Jenkins.

Cast:

Chris - Benedict Cumberbatch
Bessie - Louise Brealey
Irena - Jane Slavin

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
World War II Military War Heartfelt Feel-Good
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    187
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    192
  • 4 Stars
    10
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    165
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    11
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Tender Lusting

The words of love are one thing. This couple's sentences of longing and imagining are tender and breathy. There is a depth not easily attained in today's text, tweet and swipe relationships. Quite a treasure and a terrific way to get ready for en evening with your partner. What a turn-on!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gem!

Absolutely love and about love and in and about two people in love. Love the narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A perfect Valentine!

Tender, lustful, romantic, erotic, endearing - a perfect little love story, perfectly read. Love letters set against the background of World War II. Poignant and enduring.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

the best audio to dream about love and passion, a true and passionate love story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful to hear the full story in one sitting

I've seen the Letters Live performances of some of these. So awesome to get the entire story, and BC and LB do a terrific job of embodying the lovers.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Oh for the love of Christopher & Bessie

Please love the 44 minutes as much as I did. It will remind you of why 'fish gotta a swim' and 'birds gotta fly.' And you will swoon to hear Benedict Cumberbatch fall in love and then some. Treat yourself!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

WW II Romance that stands the test of time!

Wonderful exchange of missives during wartime.
The war may be the reason that Chris was so frank in his amorous writing to Bessie, or maybe our parents lied about how young adults behaved before the 1960’s ;)

The voices of two I hoped would get together in the latest Sherlock series, got to be in love in this production, which warmed my heart.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

enjoyed the story

enjoyed the story. wish there were more letters. good story telling. narrators did a good job

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sweet romance, top notch narration

What made the experience of listening to My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters the most enjoyable?

The quality of narration stands out. They can really act, and it shows.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Bessie. She sounded so sweet and hopeful!

Any additional comments?

I'm now in the mood of writing a love letter to my husband!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful and beautiful

Such a beautiful love story. It is so lovely and sweet to hear these love letters between 2 people who love each other so dearly and hear of their journey together.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!