I Will Always Write Back cover art

I Will Always Write Back

How One Letter Changed Two Lives

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

I Will Always Write Back

By: Martin Ganda, Caitlin Alifirenka, Liz Welch
Narrated by: Chukwudi Iwuji, Emily Bauer
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 The New York Times bestselling true story of an all-American girl and a boy from Zimbabwe and the letter that changed both of their lives forever.

It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place.

Martin was lucky to even receive a pen-pal letter. There were only ten letters, and fifty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one.

That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.

In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends -- and better people -- through their long-distance exchange. Their story will inspire you to look beyond your own life and wonder about the world at large and your place in it. Biographies Geography & Cultures Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Social Activists Friendship Nonfiction Africa Student

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Glitter and Glue cover art
How to Grow an Addict cover art
Make Something Good Today cover art
Boy Underground cover art
Shoes of a Servant cover art
When I Married My Mother cover art
A Dream Called Home cover art
Etched in Sand cover art
Piecing Me Together cover art
Esperanza Rising cover art
Kaffir Boy cover art
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane cover art
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell cover art
Have You Seen Luis Velez? cover art
The Outsiders cover art
An Invisible Thread cover art

Critic reviews

Praise for I Will Always Write Back:An Indiebound Bestseller
An Amazon Big Spring Book Selection 2015
* "Sensitively and candidly demonstrating how small actions can result in enormous change, this memoir of two families' transformation through the commitment and affection of long-distance friends will humble and inspire."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The remarkable tenacity of these two souls pulled like magnets across the world by their opposite polarities - one committed to helping, the other to surviving - is deeply affecting...It's quite a little miracle of unexpected genuineness."—New York Times Book Review
"A well-written, accessible story that will open Western adolescents' eyes to life in developing countries. Told in the first person, with chapters alternating between Caitlin's and Martin's points of view, this title effectively conveys both of these young people's perspectives...a strong and inspiring story...and an eye-opening look at life in another culture."—SLJ
"An inspirational story...eye-opening."—The Bulletin
"This heart-warming memoir will inspire readers to open their eyes to other cultures and realize that even the smallest of gestures can be important."—School Library Connection
"This compelling story of an unlikely friendship across continents will quiet your inner skeptic and inspire you to take a chance. Moving and uplifting."
—Award-winning author and journalist Peter Godwin
"Caitlin and Martin seemed to have nothing in common--except a curiosity about the world outside their own and a willingness to reach out to each other. With a lot of postage and a lot more hope, these two pen pals changed each other's lives and the lives of everyone who knew them. An inspiring story that will change your life, too."—Patricia McCormick, author of the National Book Award finalist Sold
All stars
Most relevant
what a fantastic story,the narration brought the characters to life didnt want story to end.

I will allways write back

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a heart wrenching and heartwarming story. I just wanted to listen none stop.

Good book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the story and Martin's performance. The voice of Caitlin was irritating and sounded unnatural. It was nice to hear about generous and non-racist Americans in contrast to the usual images. It was sad to remember that Martin's early condition of absolute poverty is still shared by millions of people around the world.

A story about human kindness and dignity

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the innocence and honesty of their stories. Pride, assumption, hard work and sincere love in two journeys. Loved this.

Beautiful innocent story of openness my minds

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Absolutely loved this book! It gives a tiny insight into what life in Africa is really like and the differences with the US.
Loved the emotions and the story telling was great with authentic accents - a very enjoyable listen

Fantastic! Loved the story and 2 perspectives

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