Dear Edward
By Ann Napolitano
Blurb
A luminous, life-affirming novel about a 12-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a deadly plane crash
One summer morning, a flight takes off from New York to Los Angeles. There are 216 passengers aboard: among them a young woman taking a pregnancy test in the airplane toilet; a Wall Street millionaire flirting with the air hostess; an injured soldier returning from Afghanistan; and two beleaguered parents moving across the country with their adolescent sons, bickering over who gets the window seat. When the plane suddenly crashes in a field in Colorado, the younger of these boys, 12-year-old Edward Adler, is the sole survivor.
Dear Edward depicts Edward's life in the crash's aftermath as he struggles to make sense of the meaning of his survival, the strangeness of his sudden fame, and find his place in the world without his family. In his new home with his aunt and uncle, the only solace comes from his friendship with the girl next door, Shay. Together Edward and Shay make a startling discovery: hidden in his uncle's garage are sacks of letters from the relatives of the other passengers, addressed to Edward.
As Edward comes of age against the backdrop of sudden tragedy, he must confront some of life's most profound questions: how do we make the most of the time we are given? And what does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?
Our Review
Dear Edward is basically a book about everyone’s worst nightmare. 12 year old Edward Adler wakes one morning to find he is the sole survivor of a plane crash. His father, mother and older brother all died.
In the aftermath Edward searches for reasons why he survived and what that means for his future, struggles with his new life without his family and his newfound fame, and simultaneously tries to navigate growing up.
The book begins with Bruce and Jane Adler walking through airport security with their two sons. Eddie is twelve years old and walks through with his parents, but his brother Jordan decides to hold back from his family. When it is his turn, he tells those in charge of the screening that he wishes to opt out of going through the screening machine.
Jane believes Bruce is to blame for his insistence on challenging authority when he is home-schooling the boys.
The book divides itself between the plane journey and the aftermath and shows the reader insights into the lives of the other passengers. The injured soldier recently returned from Afghanistan and struggling to adjust to life as a civilian, a rich cancer patient all alone except for his nurse, a Wall Street worker trying desperately to flirt with the air hostess, even Edward’s parents and brother are exposed to us.
I thought the relationship between Jordon and Edward was well written. Close siblings but not saccharine sweet.
“The brothers are able to read each other effortlessly; their parents are often mystified to find that Jordan and Eddie have conducted an entire conversation and come to a decision without a word. They’ve always operated as a unit and done everything together.
In the last year, though, Jordan has been pulling away. The way he says his brother’s name, now, means: I’m still here, I’ll always come back.”
Dear Edward perfectly illustrated the bereavement process and I really felt like I was witnessing the after math of a disaster.
I liked that the book wasn’t just about Eddie and his family and I felt as if we got to know some interesting characters. I cared what happened to each and every one of them.
One of the things I enjoyed about the book was the discovery of the letters from the family of the other passengers. I thought that was a really good touch.
Dear Edward was a unique and beautifully written book.
Our Final Rating...
Read & Shared 79 Times.
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