Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
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.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
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.
My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters cover art

My Dear Bessie: A Love Story in Letters

By: Chris Barker, Bessie Moore
Narrated by: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jane Slavin, Louise Brealey
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £3.99

Buy Now for £3.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Benedict Cumberbatch Reads Ian Kelly's Casanova cover art
The Lady in the Van cover art
Inspector Morse: BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The Bridges of Madison County cover art
Mail-Order Brides of the West cover art
Forever & Always cover art
Jane Eyre cover art
Always cover art
Virgins cover art
Looking for Me cover art
Reaping the Benefits cover art
A Work in Progress cover art
Call Me by Your Name cover art
Their Eyes Were Watching God cover art
A Christmas Carol cover art
Last Christmas in Paris cover art

Summary

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
  • Radio/TV Programme
  • Categories: History

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

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    50
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    38
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 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

Just wonderful!

I confess to choosing this as a certain Mr Cumberbatch is narrating, but the love story between Chris & Bessie was simply beautiful. My only complaint was that it only lasted for such a short time! It's so easy to forget the horrors of war; never knowing if you'll be alive in the morning.
I loved this & recommend it wholeheartedly.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Absolutely lovely

This was an excellent letter, hopelessly romantic. This has now set a boundary for relationships to come in the future.

Performances were excellent (made me think of Sherlock and molly having a love affair) but was absolutely fantastic.

Read this book!!!!! I know I will listen to it again multiple times!

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Deathly boring.

I struggled to listen too it and the actors seemed to be bored too. it was repetitive romantic drivel. has put me off of audible too.

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

Beautiful words of Love!

A short but beautiful story! It was so wonderful I just wish it was longer, yet I’m happy these two were to be together as soon as possible!

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 story and performance!

Spectacular performance by both artists. A Wonderful old school love story! Endearing and so honest.
Thank you for sharing these precious letters with us.

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
    4 out of 5 stars

Beautifully evocative

These war tine love letters are beautifully read- touching, engaging and poignant. A must listen!

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

Lovely

The most beautiful love story I've ever heard. I'll be falling asleep to this for a long time to come.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!