Letters and Photographs from SEALED WITH A KISS; AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY IN LETTERS by Bob Zielsdorf

After the couple married, the letters were carefully preserved in a box Fran decorated; as both describe in Sealed with a Kiss, they were not only cherished but often re-read, shared, and enjoyed.

To make the writing and design of the book possible, the letters, envelopes and related documents were professionally scanned. The slideshow at right shares a sampling of the letters along with photographs illustrating the book's story.

For more information about the letters, the story, and these images, you can read an excerpt from the book, browse the Frequently Asked Questions, and, of course, read Sealed with a Kiss!

Do you have questions about the story, the letters, the process of the book's creation, or the use of your own letters in a book or memoir? We welcome reader questions, which may be submitted through the Contact form on this site or on our Facebook page.

Bob and Fran both saved the letters they received from the other; most of the envelopes were preserved as well, along with a variety of cards, clippings and other mementos related to the correspondence.

Sealed with a Kiss: a Love Story in Letters is so good I couldn’t put it down. Romantic and nostalgic, these engrossing pages are a documented history of what it was like to grow up and fall in love in middle-class America in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It takes the form of a series of letters beginning when Fran Jordan of Andover, Mass. and Bob Zielsdorf of York, Pa. meet following eighth grade, kiss briefly, and become pen pals. In addition to the fascinating letters, Zielsdorf describes their growing relationship and an America at the height of its morality and culture. You’ll laugh, perhaps cry, but, no matter what your age, I guarantee you’ll enjoy this book.

—Bill Dalton, author and columnist