Dear Edward

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Dear Edward
Dear Edward book cover.jpg
AuthorAnn Napolitano
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreFiction
PublisherThe Dial Press
Publication date
January 6, 2020
Media typePrint (Hardcover & Paperback)
Pages352 pages
ISBN978-1984854780

Dear Edward is a 2020 novel by American writer Ann Napolitano. It tells the story of a 12-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills all of the other 191 passengers, including the protagonist's family.[1][2] Dear Edward was published on January 6, 2020, by The Dial Press.[3] It is Napolitano's third novel.[1][4]

Writing and inspiration[]

The novel was partially inspired by the crash of Afriqiyah Airways Flight 771 on May 12, 2010, which resulted in the deaths of all 103 passengers and crew except for a 9-year-old boy.[4] Napolitano said of the real-life crash: "This story just flayed me. I could not imagine how the boy would be OK, and I could feel from the stickiness of my obsession that I was going to have to write a book that created a set of circumstances to make him OK."[4]

Critical reception[]

Angie Kim of The New York Times called it a "suspenseful page-turner" and a "haunting novel that's a masterful study in suspense, grief and survival".[1] Elisabeth Egan, also of The New York Times, called it "a surprisingly uplifting story, full of hope and dry humor, with an underlying, noncloying message about the decency of strangers".[4] NPR book reviewer Heller McAlpin called it "a sure-footed tearjerker" and "in part a tale of survivor guilt, which is fueled by the weight of oppressive, often bizarre expectations on the miracle boy".[2] Jenna Bush Hager, the co-host of Today with Hoda & Jenna and daughter of former U.S. President George W. Bush, selected Dear Edward as the January 2020 selection of her Read With Jenna book club.[5] Stephanie Larratt of Today wrote: "While the story has tragedy at its core, it is a book about shared humanity, new beginnings and finding hope through even the most trying experience."[5]

The book made The New York Times Best Sellers list on January 26, 2020, debuting at #2 in the "Hardcover Fiction" category and #3 in the "Combined Print & E-Book Fiction" category.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Kim, Angie (January 6, 2020). "A Plane Goes Down, Killing 191. Only a 12-Year-Old Survives". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b McAlpin, Heller (January 16, 2020). "'Kingdomtide' And 'Dear Edward': 2 New Novels Take On A Singular Situation". National Public Radio. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  3. ^ Dumond, Susie (January 2, 2020). "January 2020 Horoscopes and Book Recommendations". Book Riot. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Egan, Elisabeth (February 12, 2020). "For Ann Napolitano, the Third Time's the Charm". The New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Laratt, Stephanie (February 12, 2020). "5 books to read if you enjoyed 'Dear Edward' by Ann Napolitano". Today. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  6. ^ "The New York Times Best Sellers". The New York Times. January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
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