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Synopsis (from Goodreads):
One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them is a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured vet returning from Afghanistan, a septuagenarian business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. And then, tragically, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.
Edward's story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place for himself in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a piece of him has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery--one that will lead him to the answers of some of life's most profound questions: When you've lost everything, how do find yourself? How do you discover your purpose? What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?
Dear Edward is at once a transcendent coming-of-age story, a multidimensional portrait of an unforgettable cast of characters, and a breathtaking illustration of all the ways a broken heart learns to love again.
Review:
Around the same time I was granted access to this audiobook from Penguin Random House, my book club also chose this for our monthly book choice. We had just read several very emotionally draining novels, and thought this would be a light, uplifting read. While this was (ultimately) uplifting, this was a highly emotionally charged reading experience. It was worth it, as this was such a rewarding book.
What I Liked:
Settings:The book takes place in two moments in time. The actual plane ride is a detailed, minute by minute account of all the passengers experiences. The second setting is the aftermath of the plane crash and what happens to Edward. This gives us a heartbreaking look at characters we know are doomed to perish and gives us a context for Edward's story.
Characters:
Whenever I hear of a tragedy, it is often hard to imagine the people behind the number of lives lost. But the author makes sure that the characters on the plane are rendered as people with full lives who have no idea of what's to come. We get to see all of these people's priorities and problems. Even though this novel was about a fictional plane crash, humanizing these characters made it real for me.
When we get into the story of the lone survivor, Edward, everything is now put in a context we wouldn't have gotten, had it not been for how fleshed out the people on the place were.
The people in Edward's new life are far from perfect. Edward's aunt and uncle put their lives on hold in order to bring Edward into their home. They make choices to protect him, but are they also just protecting themselves? One can't blame them.
Edward, himself, has been through such trauma, that it's hard for his family to know how to help him. He does go to a therapist. But he is given a lot of leeway both at school and at home, which doesn't actually help. Eventually, Edward begins to use how carefully everyone is treating him as a crutch. This prevents him from completely healing. But, again, it's completely understandable.
Story:
This is a story of dealing with tragedy, healing, and life (eventually) moving forward. I was completely invested in seeing how this played out, not only for Edward, but for his aunt and uncle, as well. I found this story to be really satisfying without getting sappy.
The author did extensive research on what happens in the cockpit during a plane crash. It was riveting. Again, the author's research helped these scenes from devolving into melodrama.
A Warning:
This story does deal with an airplane crash. If you are a nervous flyer, this story can get very upsetting. It certainly will make me more wary of getting on a plane in the future.
Rating:
Release Date: January 6th, 2020
Author: Ann Napolitano
Audio Publisher: Random House Audio
Audio Length: 11 hour, 37 minutes
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Print Publisher: Dial Press
Page Length: 352 Pages
Source: Penguin House Audio
Format: Audiobook
Recommendation: This is a compelling, rewarding reading experience.
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