Dear Eliza is Andrea Stein’s second novel and just as with Typecast, it’s a winner from me. If I read a book fast, it means I’m loving it and I read this one, oh so fast!
Eliza is twenty-six, and ten years ago, when she was sixteen, her world was upended when her Mum died. Now it’s being upended again, in more ways than one! Eliza went through a whirlwind of emotions during this book, her and me both! Grief, anger, acceptance and love. For me, Dear Eliza focuses on the importance of family and friendship and the people you can count on in life.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you enjoy contemporary fiction with amazing characters, which is full of heartfelt emotion and a beautiful story, then pop along to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Andrea’s new book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrea Stein for the opportunity to read and review Dear Eliza.
About the Book
Ten years after her mother’s death, Eliza Levinger never imagined she’d hear from her again. But then The Letter arrived.
Eliza’s world broke apart when she was sixteen and her mom died of cancer. Now, years later, she has rebuilt her life to include a director-of-development job at a nonprofit, a Manhattan apartment, and an easy-on-the-eyes bedroom buddy—just the kind of no-strings relationship she wants, even if it’s less than her best friend, Mo, thinks she deserves. But when Eliza’s dad dies unexpectedly, her beloved aunt Claude arrives at the shiva with a letter from her mom—to be opened only after her father’s death. Inside the letter? A bombshell.
Suddenly, all of Eliza’s relationships are upended. Her brother is angry, her stepmother is threatening to disinherit her, and Mo—who has always been her rock—doesn’t seem to understand what she’s going through. But as Eliza struggles to cope with the shocking news, she finds an unexpected ally—her brother’s best friend, Josh—her high school crush, whom she’s tried hard to forget. It’s not in Eliza’s nature to trust . . . but maybe it’s time for that to change. Dear Eliza explores the meaning of family, the complexities of grief, and the beauty in finding your way again.
About Andrea
Born in Brooklyn, she was raised in New Jersey before attending a small, quirky liberal arts college and a large, preppy university, both in New York State. A book publicist by profession, she lives with her husband and sons in suburban New Jersey.
She spends an inordinate amount of time taking pretty photos of books. Things that make her happy include strong tea, turtles, sunshine, sheep, and the ocean.
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