The world knew her as Ann Landers, but to her only child, Margo, Eppie Lederer was a cherished correspondent whose heartfelt guidance and practical advice saw her through college, marriage, divorce, motherhood, and a journalistic career of her own. Spanning four decades, the letters included here capture both Eppie Lederer's remarkable zest for life and her keen observations about an America caught up in sweeping political and social change. Although she turned out 365 columns a year for decades, Eppie found time to write to Margo wherever she was, from the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House or her beloved Chicago apartment, sharing behind-the-scenes moments with the powerful and the famous, from Presidents Carter and Reagan to Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, and Muhammad Ali. Also included are never-before-published thoughts about her relationship with her identical (and very competitive) twin sister, "Popo," known as "Dear Abby." From Eppie Lederer's sharp-witted take on the world to motherly tips on diet, exercise, weddings, divorce, and growing older, A Life in Letters is not only a moving portrait of a mother-daughter relationship but also a revealing social history and a compendium of timeless wisdom that only Ann Landers could have created. It is a generous gift to us all, from Margo Howard and the funny, loving, singular woman who happened to be her mother. Book jacket.

Ann Landers was the most widely syndicated columnist in the world for forty-seven years Margo Howard is a journalist and the author of the "Dear Prudence" column for Slate.com, which is syndicated in newspapers and featured on NPR. She was a syndicated columnist based at the Chicago Daily-News and has been a contributor to People, The New Republic, The Nation, TV Guide, and numerous other publications. She lives with her husband in Cambridge, Massachusetts