Dear Edward, Ann Napolitano
Dear Edward, Ann Napolitano
31 Rating(s)
List: $20.00 | Sale: $13.20
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Dear Edward

Bestseller

Author: Ann Napolitano

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Unabridged: 11 hr 36 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/06/2020


Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • “Make sure you have tissues handy when you read [this] sure-footed tearjerker” (NPR) about a young boy who must learn to go on after surviving tragedy, from the author of the Oprah’s Book Club pick Hello Beautiful.

Now streaming as an Apple TV+ series starring Connie Britton, written and executive produced by Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights and Parenthood)

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, Parade, LibraryReads

What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?
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 are a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured veteran returning from Afghanistan, a business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. Halfway across the country, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.

Edward’s story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a part of himself 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 you find the strength to put one foot in front of the other? How do you learn to feel safe again? How do you find meaning in your life?

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.

Praise for Dear Edward

“Dear Edward is that rare book that breaks your heart and stitches it back together during a reading experience that leaves you profoundly altered for the better.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of Mad Honey
 
“Will lead you toward something wonderous, something profound.”—Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Now Is Not the Time to Panic

About Ann Napolitano

An American author, Ann Napolitano, had received her MFA from New York University and taught fiction writing for Brooklyn College, NY University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and for Gotham Writer's Workshop.

Ann's new novel, Dear Edward, was published in 2020 by Dial Press. It has been published by various publishers in different countries. Her two other books are A Good Hard Look, and Within Arm's Reach, which was adapted to a theatrical production in 2014 in New York City.

Napolitano lives with her husband and two children in Brooklyn, New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nilufer on January 31, 2023

Wow! I got Arc copy of this book and wrote a review long time ago for NetGalley and now I realized I didn’t share on Goodreads. Luckily my favorite producer assistant Casey, who always gives me hard times by making me rewrite my scenes at least 80 times and taking my middle finger emojis as daily gi......more

Goodreads review by Angela M on December 09, 2019

Many of us know what it feels like to grieve the loss of loved ones, but how unimaginable to lose your whole family at twelve years old as the sole survivor of a plane crash. Who is there to understand what Edward Adler, this young boy, broken physically and emotionally, is feeling? Is there anyone......more

Goodreads review by JanB on January 06, 2020

4.5 stars It’s been a long time since I read a book where the story and the characters took hold of my heart and wouldn’t let go. Anyone who has followed my reviews for any amount of time knows that I don’t typically like child narrators. This is the exception. It’s a stunning piece of storytelling.......more


Quotes

“A surprisingly uplifting story, full of hope and dry humor, with an underlying, noncloying message about the decency of strangers.”The New York Times Book Review
 
“A harrowing yet ultimately optimistic story about the sole survivor of a plane crash.”O: The Oprah Magazine
 
“A haunting novel that’s a masterful study in suspense, grief and survival . . . Napolitano’s fearless examination of what took place models a way forward for all of us. She takes care not to sensationalize, presenting even the most harrowing scenes in graceful, understated prose, and gives us a powerful book about living a meaningful life during the most difficult of times.”The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
 
“Transportative . . . Make sure you have tissues handy when you read Ann Napolitano’s Dear Edward, a sure-footed tearjerker.”—NPR
 
“Exquisite . . . an insightful and moving testament to the indomitability of the human spirit.”People

“Ann Napolitano’s new novel is the best book about a young person I’ve read since Emma Donoghue’s Room, and if there’s any justice in the world, it’s going to be a phenomenon: outstanding storytelling, great writing, absolutely The Real Deal.”—John Boyne, bestselling author of The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Dear Edward isn’t just a beautiful novel, clear-eyed and compassionate even as it pulls us into difficult terrain. It’s an examination of what makes us human, how we survive in this mysterious world, how we take care of each other. It’s the kind of book that forces you to trust that the author, who will break your heart, will also lead you toward something wondrous, something profound. After this brilliant novel, I will follow Ann Napolitano to the ends of the earth.”—Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

“This is a stunning novel of courage and connection in the face of unimaginable loss. It’s beautifully written, with characters so intensely alive you will hold your breath as they break your heart—an extraordinary read.”—Helen Simonson, author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

“From its breathtaking premise—a boy is the sole survivor of an airplane crash—to its absolutely rhapsodic finish, Dear Edward is about the persistence of hope, the depth of love, and the unexpected, radiant moments that make up our lives. If I loved this stunning novel any more, I’d have to marry it.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Cruel Beautiful World

“I loved Dear Edward so, so much. It made me laugh and weep. So many times I had to stop after reading a paragraph to acknowledge the beauty of Ann Napolitano’s writing. In Edward, his friend Shay, and the passengers on the airplane, Napolitano offers unforgettable characters, people you know you will miss after you’ve turned the book’s last page. Magnificent!”—Lily King, author of Euphoria

“Contains real bite [and] authenticity . . . Edward’s path to finding purpose and connection is realized with an affecting, quiet empathy.”Entertainment Weekly
 
“A delicate story of one boy’s physical and psychological recovery . . . Napolitano captures the subtle shades of Edward’s spirit like the earliest intimations of dawn. . . . Persistently lovely . . . one of the most touching stories you’re likely to read in the new year.”The Washington Post

“Stunning . . . In this life-affirming tale, the downright unbearable blossoms into a testament to the power of love and grace.”Vogue

Napolitano weaves Edward’s devastating post-crash experience with heart-pounding chapters set during the final hours and minutes of the flight. Though there’s so much tragedy and loss in this novel, there is also a lot of hope.”Real Simple, “The Best Books of 2020 (So Far)”

“A poignant novel about grief and hope.”Marie Claire

“This haunting story of how one young man copes with the unthinkable cards life has dealt him is heartbreaking, insightful, and altogether unforgettable.”Town & Country

“A twelve-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a Los Angeles–bound plane crash. If this premise doesn't hook you, the prose will. And the flight is filled with a Lost-esque cast of characters that make the fatal crash even more devastating.”TheSkimm