In 1949, writer Helen Hanff began correspondence with a used bookstore in London, asking them to help her secure some classic books that she could not find in New York. Over the course of 20 years, letters are exchanged between her and the store's employees, especially Frank Doyle, who secures the books and sends them to her. This correspondence begins with a request for a copy of Hazlitt's Three Essays and gradually deepens, building a transparent human relationship between book lovers on both sides of the ocean. In the details of their personal lives on the one hand, and chronicling the history of the two countries on the other hand, it includes talk about the food crisis in Britain after rationing, the pivotal elections in both countries, the sports clubs, their social life, Frank's family news, the development of Helen's professional career, and even the method of making pudding.