Thistle & Ink is a monthly mail club that brings to life the true love story of our grandparents through beautiful WWII-era letters, inspired by their real family correspondence. Each delivery includes a new chapter of their journey, along with carefully curated vintage keepsakes that make history feel personal, heartfelt, and unforgettable.
Thistle & Ink is a one-of-a-kind monthly mail experience inspired by the true love story of our grandparents during World War II. Based on real family letters, memories, military records, and historical research, each installment invites you to step into the lives of Gordon and Mary as they navigate love, distance, and hope during one of history’s most extraordinary times.
Every month you’ll receive a beautifully crafted letter, written in the authentic voice of the 1940s and inspired by their real correspondence, along with carefully selected vintage-style ephemera that makes each chapter feel like opening a treasured family keepsake. From wartime newspaper clippings and passport stamps to photographs, postcards, and other period-inspired surprises, every package is designed to immerse you in their remarkable journey.
Their story begins with a chance reunion before America entered the war, follows Gordon across North Africa and Europe with the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, and traces Mary’s own contribution on the home front as she left her beauty salon to help build aircraft at Lockheed before serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. Together, their letters capture the uncertainty, humor, sacrifice, and enduring love that carried them through years apart.
More than a subscription, Thistle & Ink is an invitation to slow down, open your mailbox with anticipation, and experience history the way it was once shared: one handwritten letter at a time. Whether you love World War II history, authentic family stories, genealogy, or simply believe that some love stories deserve to be held in your hands, Thistle & Ink brings the past back to life, one envelope at a time.
