Writer Ann Napolitano was inspired to write Dear Edward because of the real-life story of Ruben Van Assouw, a nine-year-old boy who was the sole survivor of a plane crash. Like Ruben, the main character of Napolitano's novel named Edward, is devastated by the loss of their family and other people on his respective plane. He becomes a changed person because of it, in fact. Napolitano didn't know what happened to Ruben prior to writing her novel, but wanted to create a story in which he would be okay. Dear Edward is that story. Although there are sections of the novel which are tonally very dark, violent, and negative, Dear Edward is a fundamentally positive and hopeful book about the transformative power human connection can have on a person. It is also a novel about how love, kindness, and compassion can lift someone out of a deep and dark grieving period and depression. It is only because of the people that reach out to Edward that he is able to move past his grief and start a life of his own with his girlfriend (who quickly becomes his wife).
Dear Edward is a deeply emotional and tragic book about a young man overcomes all odds first by surviving a plane crash and then leading a mostly positive and fulfilling life with a woman whom he loves. It's characters are well-drawn and realistic and its themes are complex. The novel explores themes of survival, the importance of having friends, tapping into one's emotions, looking for love, grief, figuring out who you are, and dealing with situations in which you don't have control.
The novel Dear Edward by author Ann Napolitano opens with the protagonist, Edward Adler, his parents, and brother Jordan, boarding a flight from Newark to Los Angeles. The family is relocating to support his mother's writing career. Unfortunately, a catastrophic event occurs during the flight, resulting in the death of all passengers except for Edward. After a short stint at the hospital to recover from his physical injuries, Edward is taken in by his aunt and uncle, Lacey and John, who love Edward and want to ensure that he is in a positive environment.
As Edward settles into his new home, he becomes friends with his neighbors, Besa and Shay. He quickly forms a strong bond with Shay and spends most of his time with her, even sleeping better at night when he sleeps on her floor. Edward becomes a public figure as the sole survivor of the crash and is bombarded by media attention and people trying to exploit his story. However, he finds comfort in talking to the boyfriend of one of the victims and realizes that he is not alone in his pain.
To gain closure and better understand the crash, Edward travels to the NTSB headquarters in Washington D.C. but is overwhelmed by fear and grief. Besa eventually asks Edward to stop sleeping on Shay's floor, causing him distress. One day, he finds letters addressed to him from the families of the victims and reads each one, learning about their lives and forming connections with them. He and Shay travel to the crash memorial together, which brings him peace and closure. With that closure, Edward and Shay start a relationship and build a life together.
