Book Review: Handwritten Notes by Carrie Pierce

Subtitle: Learn How a Small, Powerful Act Can Enrich Your Life

Author: Carrie Pierce
Published 2022
5 stars

One of the joys of my Heartspoken journey has been meeting kindred spirits and inviting them to join my #HeartspokenMovement. Carrie PIerce, the author of this lovely, easy-to-read book, is just such a person. It is a wonderful complement to my book Heartspoken: How to Write Notes That Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire. They both belong on your writing desk bookshelf.

Pierce focuses here on handwritten notes and makes the case for their being not only impactful for the receiver but enriching for the life of the sender too. She has embraced the practice her whole life—personal and professional—and she shares not only the times and situations that call for a handwritten note but also includes many examples of well-crafted missives and some poignant stories to illustrate their impact.

Essential Connections of the HeartspokenLife

The theme of Connection inspires and fascinates me, so I especially appreciated the author’s insights into the way longhand correspondence can help us slow down, be more observant, and even more curious. These all lead to both joy and satisfaction because they strengthen our bonds with others and our knowledge of ourselves: two of the four essential connections of the #HeartspokenLife. She shares scientific research to show tangible benefits to adults and children that provide a healthy “antidote to the chronic self-focus inherent in social media.” 

Encouraging future note writers

The “Kids and Note Writing” chapter reminded me we should be writing to our children and grandchildren to remind them how special they are, give them a taste of what it feels like to pull a handwritten letter out of the mailbox and set an example that we hope they will emulate. Her chapter “Notes for Business” pointed out the subtle but critical differences between personal and professional note writing.   

Shift your attitude

The author asserts that quality note writing comes from a place of caring. When we approach our writing this way, we can banish the attitude of obligation, need for perfection, or lack of confidence and embrace this simple, affordable superpower as an impactful tool for building and nourishing the important relationships in our life.

Carrie Pierce’s website—carriepiercenotes.com—contains further support for the message of her book. One recent blog post, for instance, is “The Timeless Impact of a Handwritten Note for a Graduate.”

“This book is not [just] about writing notes. It’s about a way of being in the world,” she says. 

Hear, hear!

Get the book

Buying from my Heartspoken Bookshop helps me and supports independent bookstores:

Buy from Amazon for Kindle or paperback

Pin this: