In The letter, the unforgettable conclusion to The Christmas box collection, Richard writes, "I discovered the letter in the winter of 1949 pressed between the pages of a diary that belonged to the child's father, and, at first glance, I regarded it of little consequence. It was only after I had read the diary that I learned of the letter's great siginificance and the events it set in motion. " It is within the final pages of this beautiful novel that David and MaryAnne Parkin face love's greatest challenge. And in finding love's truest meaning, they learn the lessons that are echoed throughout the story.