Eve and Fayeâs correspondence began with a simple letter about a bad job interview or bad hair day, seeking comfort from hundreds of miles away. As their adult lives unfolded, gender roles, career choices, and family relationships became fair game, subject to both scrutiny and hilarity as the Ledermans lovingly ridicule everyone in their path.
In one letter, Faye laments, âEvery time I apply mascara before an interview my eyelashes get all clumped together. Iâm afraid if the interviewer catches my profile heâll think Iâm applying for the position of prostitute.â In another, Eve ponders their fatherâs ineptness. âIf Mom left for the weekend, sheâd return home to find Dad emaciated on the floor, tin cans strewn around with bite marks.â
Ultimately, the sisters reassure each other that they are not alone in their search for the ultimate man (âa big, buff, macho, kind, sensitive, feministâ), the ideal job, or the perfect hair removal method. The Ledermans emerge as feisty, independent women who confront their femininity but arenât confined by it. Instead, they are able to laugh long and hard at themselves, enticing and empowering readers to do the same.