Dear Edward Book Club Ideas

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*If you are new here, WELCOME! For Dear Edward, I provide your book club with a brief summary, fun activity ideas, and more!

Dear Edward is the newest novel by Ann Napolitano. While you might not have heard of her before, Napolitano has been an editor for one of the top short story publications in the U.S. for years, One Story.

And, Dear Edward is sure to secure her as a novelist to watch.

Dear Edward is a novel about the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills almost 200 other people. The survivor, a teenage boy, struggles to find his place in the world after losing his family and enduring the crash.

It’s a coming-of-age that’s absolutely heart-breaking, but ultimately beautiful as we watch Edward rise out of the ashes of his circumstances with a triumphant hope in the future.

It’s a soul-wrenching story and one that I, personally, had trouble getting through. If you have lost anyone in a plane crash, like I have, or if the events of 9/11 or other major crashes are extremely traumatic to you, I have to say you might want to set this one aside.

That said, if you are somewhat fascinated by the question of how someone conquers such a momentous tragedy, Dear Edward handles the subject with such realism coupled with hope that I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

The brilliance of choosing a teenager as the main character is that Edward is allowed to struggle through his feelings without the reader imposing limitations on how he should feel or act after the tragedy as they would with an adult.

I can also say that the ending is satisfying with an optimistic outlook. In other words, it hits the cathartic nail on the head.

Plus, it’s truly a unique book in that most books concerning plane crashes are thrillers or mysteries, but this novel sits squarely in literary fiction (not YA!) focusing on the wrestling feelings of a sole survivor that we’ve all imagined.

All of that said, I’ve provided book club questions and a delicious recipe for Dear Edward, so if you are looking for food ideas and more, keep reading!

Looking for your next great read? Check out these similar books…

Dear Edward Book Club Questions and Recipe

Here’s a brief summary of Dear Edward:

Edward Adler, his older brother, and his parents board a plane from Newark to Los Angeles headed towards a new life, new jobs, and a new future, but the promise of what they hoped for is cut short when the plane, along with its 183 other passengers crashes into a barren field in Colorado.

Edward is the sole survivor.

With alternating timelines between that fated day, featuring vignettes of the various passengers aboard the flight, and Edward’s life after the crash, Dear Edward asks some of life’s hardest 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?”

Book Club Activity Ideas for Dear Edward:

The letters that Edward receives over the course of the book help to connect the two story lines and also help Edward heal.

During your book club meeting, provide your members with a stack of blank cards. You can usually find these cheaply at any store. Here’s an example of blank cards with literary fun on the front.

Set a timer and encourage everyone to write a short note to someone they love about something they want to do before they die. If everyone feels comfortable, share the notes aloud as time allows.

Consider mailing the cards as a gesture of accountability to yourself to fulfill your wish! Or keep it somewhere near as a reminder!

More…

Dear Edward will foster an absolutely rich book club discussion. Despite the difficult subject, I kept thinking about the book long after I finished reading.

If you are looking for a book that will spur discussion and keep you turning pages, Dear Edward is a great choice.

On that note, I’ve provided book club questions and a delicious recipe for Dear Edward as part of this series, so if you are looking for food ideas and more, keep reading!

Click HERE for the book club questions for Dear Edward!

Click HERE for the food ideas for your book club for Dear Edward!

Have you read Dear Edward? What did you think? Did it satisfy you or were you left wishing for more? What are some similar books you’ve read?

Until next time, Happy Reading!

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