Letter 39

Letter 39 is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Summary

This fragment of a letter, dated September 29, 1940, was sent to Michael. During the Blitz, two women, mother and daughter-in-law, were staying with the Tolkiens. They went back to London that morning, and Tolkien comments that he has never seen more simple, helpless, gentle and unhappy souls. Both women were away from their husbands for the first time in their lives, and "would prefer to be blown to bits".