Letter· 2000s
A grandmother’s birthday letter finds its way back to Jackie
By the Editors · As reported by CBC Radio, As It Happens, 29 April 2026
FoundWashington, D.C., United States
Tucked inside State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Reunited — it went back to its owner or their family.
Katie Slocum picked up Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder from a Little Free Library in northwest Washington, D.C., and left it unread for two years. When she finally opened it, a letter on floral stationery slipped out, dated August 2003 and addressed to a granddaughter called Jackie. With no surname or address, Slocum appealed through the neighborhood blog PoPville. Jacqueline Roche recognized the cursive at once: her grandmother Irene had written it for her sixteenth birthday, and she had carried it through every move until it went missing.
This is our summary of a find reported in the press. For the full story, photographs and any updates, read the original report in CBC Radio, As It Happens.