Book Review: "Dear Edward" by Ann Napolitano

Dear Edward is powerful, poignant, and beautiful.

One summer morning nearly 200 people board a plane in Newark bound for Los Angeles. Some are headed to Los Angeles to start a new chapter in their lives, like 12-year-old Edward Adler, who is moving with his parents and older brother so his mother can take a screenwriting job. Others are traveling for business, pleasure, or obligation.

Somewhere over Colorado, the plane crashes, killing 186 of the 187 passengers onboard. Only Edward survives.

Edward is devastated by the loss of his family, especially his beloved 15-year-old brother, Jordan. He can’t fathom how, once he heals physically, he’ll be able to have a life when his family won’t, and he feels awkward living amidst the relationship challenges his aunt and uncle (who took him in) are dealing with. He likes to think that his family is still living somewhere up in the air while he is down on the ground.

Edward is viewed as a miracle by the families of those lost in the crash as well as the rest of the world. It’s an immense pressure to bear, especially for a young boy. He is unsure how to plan for a future when he understands how uncertain life is, and he knows what it’s like to be left behind.

"It feels unkind that they are shoving their emotions at him when his own sadness and fear are so vast that he has to hide from them. The tears of these strangers sting against his raw skin. His ears click and people hold handkerchiefs to their mouths and then the nurse reaches the end of the corridor and the mechanical door slides open and they are outside. He looks down at his busted legs, to avoid seeing the lethal sky."

One night he finds some things related to the accident that at first are overwhelming, but ultimately provide a source of comfort for him. He can be more than just the kid who survived, he can find a way to make a difference. But he also can’t do it alone, which means he has to let others in again.

This book was so moving, so thought-provoking. Ann Napolitano does such a great job because in less-skilled hands, this could be utterly maudlin and depressing.

The story alternates between the present and the time from boarding until the plane crashes, so you get to know some of those who were on the plane a little better, and you understand what caused the plane to crash. That's a little difficult to read.

This really was a great read, although I’m glad I don’t have to get on a plane anytime soon!!