Letter 179b

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 179b
Recipient	Joan Anne "Joanna" Tolkien
Date	20 December 1955
Subject(s)	Birthday wishes

Letter 179b is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

Tolkien writes to his granddaughter Joanna, who had recently celebrated her eleventh birthday. He expresses his enjoyment of her birthday party and extends his best wishes for a happy Christmas as she prepares to visit Birmingham. Tolkien includes a small additional gift of 10 shillings, suggesting she might find something enjoyable to spend it on during the holidays, recalling his own childhood fondness for sweets.

He notes how much she is growing, predicting that soon she might be tall enough to kiss the top of his head.