Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

There are some fictional characters that work their way into your heart and just stay there, and this weekend I had to make space for another. Edward Adler.

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Edward is twelve years old when he and his family board a flight to Los Angeles to start their new life together. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes and Edward is the sole survivor.

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The story weaves between that fateful flight, where we meet some of the passengers and of course the Adler family, and to the present day as Edward struggles to find a place for himself.

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Picking up Dear Edward I was expecting that it might tug on my heart strings, but in actual fact it moved me to tears. There are so many brilliant characters, some you don’t get to know that well as they were on the plane, but I still felt really connected to them.

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This is such a beautiful book, it’s like a dramatic coming of age story that is partly heart-wrenching but also life-affirming. Through watching Edward grow up and come to terms with his devastating loss, Ann Napolitano encourages us to look at what it means to not just survive but to truly live your life.

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Part of me was concerned that I would end up with a fear of flying after this one but it is handled with great sensitivity. As the book progresses the chapters set on the plane become shorter and faster, rather than using this as an opportunity to fill the book with terror it is just desperately sad and very moving.

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Thank you so much @vikingbooksukfor sending this to me, it’s an unforgettable novel that I loved reading. Dear Edward is out February 2020.

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What are you reading and loving at the moment?

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