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Elinor Florence (Company name) Elinor Florence

In My Mailbox

Author Elinor Florence, smiling with brown shoulder-length hair and glasses, wearing turquoise print top, seated on bench holding turquoise binder containing fan mail.

My mailbox contains so many treasures, both physical and virtual, that I wanted to share some of them with you. For safekeeping, I place all my cards, letters, and emails in this bulging binder.

In My Mailbox: Books

I have received enough books over the past eight years of writing this newsletter to fill a VERY long shelf. Here are just a few.

 

Children’s Books, by James W. Watson

Grandson of the acclaimed illustrator Emmett Watson, who created many beautiful wartime covers for the Toronto Star Weekly, James W. Watson wrote six children’s books — one named for each of his grandchildren — and illustrated them with Emmett’s images. He found me online when I stumbled across my collection of Star Weekly covers, which you can see here: Star Weekly at War.

I wrote about his illustrious career here: Emmett Watson.

After I wrote about his grandfather, Jim mailed me copies of the children’s books, beautifully printed, and available for purchase on Amazon.

In my mailbox was this collection of six children's books, fanned out here across a table, the top one bearing the title "Thea Becomes a Princess," all written by James Watson, and illustrated by Emmett Watson

 

From Sea to Sky: Joseph’s Tale of War

Thankfully, George Halpern wrote this biography of his father Joseph Halpern so that we could read about this man’s incredible wartime experiences. Born in Poland, he was conscripted into the Russian air force, became a pilot, was shot down four times and survived.

George asked me to “blurb” his book – that’s when another author writes a brief endorsement – and I was happy to do so. George sent me a copy of the book in appreciation. The book is available from Amazon here: From School to Sky: Joseph’s Tale of War.

From School to Sky: Joseph's Tale of War, by George Halpern, book cover image shows dark cockpit of bomber surrounded by orange flames, with title in white reverse text.

 

The Air Combat Paintings of Robert Taylor

When her father passed away a few years ago, a former neighbour and friend named Kimberley McGilvray of Red Deer, Alberta packed up her father’s possessions and sent me this lovely book. Thank you so much, Kim!

Smiling author Elinor Florence, shoulder-length brown hair and glasses, wearing a black top and pearl necklace, seated on a chair holding a large hard-cover copy of The Air Combat Paintings of Robert Taylor, showing a Spitfire flying over a smoking landscape, which arrived in her mailbox.

 

Spitfire Women

This wartime book arrived out of the blue (joke intended) from Dennis Connolly, a math professor at the University of Lethbridge, who ordered a copy sent to me all the way from the United Kingdom. (I particularly like the way he addressed the book to “The Lovely Elinor Florence.”) Thank you for the book and the compliment, Dennis!

Woman's hand holds a hardcover copy of the book Spitfire Women of World War II, written by Giles Whittell, showing a photograph of a group of women in flying gear; and beside it an envelope addressed to The Lovely Elinor Florence.

 

Soar, Elinor!

Speaking of names, I ordered two copies of this children’s book about a female aviator – one for myself, and one for Elinor Warkentin of Vancouver, British Columbia. There’s a funny story behind this one: our first names are spelled the same unusual way, and our email addresses are so similar that she kept getting emails meant for me. Rather than deleting them, she kindly forwarded them to me, and replied to the sender as well.

When we visited Vancouver, I met her for coffee to thank her in person. It turned out that she was a farm girl from Manitoba. She has since become a friend and supporter of my books.

(The flying goggles belonged to my uncle Alan Light, who died in a Royal Canadian Air Force training accident. Read his story here: Painting Dedicated to Pilot.

A large, hardcover book lying on a table shows a smiling woman in flying goggles seated in the open cockpit of a small aircraft, with the title Soar, Elinor! and the author's name Tami Lewis Brown. Beside the book is a pair of well-worn vintage leather flying goggles.

 

In My Mailbox: Magazines

Although I did not set out to collect Star Weekly magazines, people send them to me from time to time, and I’m always grateful. Caroline Soles sent me these beauties and I read them from cover to cover.

Her mother Louise Soles served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, and Caroline telephoned me after finding a photograph of her mother on my website.

Read about my passion for Star Weeklies here: Star Weekly at War.

Author Elinor Florence, with brown hair and glasses and wearing a white top, seated in an armchair, smiles as she holds up two vintage wartime copies of the Star Weekly magazine, both featuring illustrations of women in uniform on their covers.

 

This one arrived recently from Ron Goodall of Wordsley in the West Midlands of England, a long-time subscriber. Ron raises homing pigeons and is interested in wartime history.  This annual publication contains many fascinating articles about the history of the county where he lives.

The cover of a magazine titled Black Country Bugle ANNUAL 2022, showing a collage of black and white photos, a bold title in red and white, and a button saying this is a 96-PAGE SPECIAL.

 

In My Mailbox: Letters

I receive so many physical letters and cards that I decided to keep them all in a binder. I also receive many, many emails and I faithfully print out each one and place it in the binder because I’m afraid they might get lost otherwise.

I think my favourite email of all times arrived from a complete stranger, who wrote: “Dear Elinor, I am now three-quarters of the way through Bird’s Eye View and if you kill off Charlie, I will never speak to you again!”

Here’s one lovely letter from a woman in Medicine Hat, Alberta, who begins: “A million thanks from me to you for your well-written, spine-tingling at times, books.”

The first page of a fan letter sent to the mailbox of author Elinor Florence, handwritten in blue ink on white notepaper, dated April 12, 2021 and beginning: "Dear Elinor, A million thanks from me to you for your well-written, spine-tingling at times, books."

I speak frequently with book clubs, either in person or on Zoom, and they send me thank you cards and letters. This photograph arrived from Cora Doucette, member of a book club in Spruce Grove, Alberta, who included a photo of her latest quilt.

Contact me if you would like me to visit your book club!

Two snapshots sent to author Elinor Florence, one showing two women holding up a quilt, and the other a group of seven middle-aged ladies in a book club in St. Albert, Alberta.

I love living in a small town, and here’s one of the reasons. A letter from John Cashman in San Jose, California arrived addressed only to “Elinor Florence, The Author Lady.”

An envelope sent to author Elinor Florence from a book fan in San Jose, California bears the address "Mrs. Elinor Florence, The Author Lady" with no street address.

My local newspaper, the Columbia Valley Pioneer, took a photograph of me with my local postmistress and published it on the front page!

The front page of the Columbia Valley Pioneer, published in Invermere, B.C. and dated January 1, 2016 shows a large photo of smiling author Elinor Florence, with brown hair and glasses, wearing a bright red coat and holding up an envelope addressed to Elinor Florence, The Author Lady, while the smiling postmaster Lisa Fossli, wearing a navy postal uniform, looks on.

In My Mailbox: Photographs

This photograph arrived in an envelope from historian Lee Anning in Creemore, Ontario. Although we haven’t met in person, we have corresponded and talked on the telephone. Lee has been so helpful in mailing me Star Weekly covers and other interesting items.

Lee is a proud Canadian veteran who served 17 years at various bases in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Germany. Here he is wearing his poppy jacket in honour of Remembrance Day.

A grinning middle-aged balding man Lee Anning of Creemore, Ontario stands proudly at attention wearing a white shirt, black tie, and a man's blazer adorned with brilliant red poppies on a black background.

Irene Parkes of Langley, British Columbia, who served post-war in the Royal Canadian Air Force, owned this collection of wartime photos showing airwomen at work from the Department of National Defence and she mailed them to me.

I published all of these on my website, and you can examine them more closely here: What Did You Do in the RCAF, Grandma?

Scattered across a table are a collection of black and white wartime photographs, all showing women in air force uniforms performing some kind of work: filling rubber dinghies, holding cameras, standing at attention.

 

In My Mailbox: Gifts

Rosalie Belsher of Calgary, Alberta read my books and invited me to speak at her book club, then crocheted me this lovely shawl as a thank you gift. Not long afterward, Rosalie passed away suddenly, so the shawl is a very treasured memento of her.

Author Elinor Florence smiles over one shoulder, her back to the camera, as she shows off a knitted shawl that arrived in her mailbox, wrapped around her shoulders in stripes of dark blue, light blue, yellow, pink, and rose.

Knowing my passion for the royal family, local historian Peter McIsaac passed along this collection of badges commemorating various coronation anniversaries. You can read more about my passion here: The Royal Family and Me.

Lying on a table is a small collection of royal badges with ribbons commemorating the 25th coronation anniversary of King George V and Queen Mary, their faces appearing on several of the badges.

This unexpected Valentine arrived in the mail from Brenda Blair in Calgary, Alberta. It’s a heart-shaped dish scrubber that she made herself!

A pretty Valentine card shows a little girl sewing, with the caption "Do you NEEDLE little Valentine?" and beside it, a heart-shaped red-and-white hand-crocheted dish scrubber.

* * * * *

Thank you to all the other lovely people who have emailed or telephoned me, plus sent me letters and cards through Canada Post! You have brought so much joy into my life. You can find my contact info here: Contact Elinor.

Fondly, Elinor

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