 In 1999 , 25 years after the end of their relationship , Joyce Maynard auctioned a series of letters Salinger had written her . Maynard 's memoir of her life and her relationship with Salinger , At Home in the World : A Memoir , was published the same year . Among other topics , the book described how Maynard 's mother had consulted with her on how to appeal to the aging author ( who was dressing like a child ) , and described Joyce 's relationship with him at length . In the ensuing controversy over both the memoir and the letters , Maynard claimed that she was forced to auction the letters for financial reasons ; she would have preferred to donate them to the Beinecke Library . Software developer Peter Norton bought the letters for US $ 156 @,@ 500 and announced his intention to return them to Salinger . 
