A story of loss
Dear Eliza: A Novel
Women's Domestic Life Fiction, Contemporary Women's Fiction
Flashpoint
October 8, 2024
336
A Betches pick of “Novels That Healed Me Faster Than Any Self-Help 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.
Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin, Katherine Center, and Jennifer Weiner, Dear Eliza explores the meaning of family, the complexities of grief, and the beauty in finding your way again.
Dear Eliza by Andrea J. Stein follows Eliza in the aftermath of her father’s death. She is grieving the loss of the father she loved but had grown estranged from after her mother’s death when she was a teenager. As if losing both parents by the time she’s a young adult isn’t tragic enough, Eliza receives a letter her mom wrote to her before her death, revealing an existence-shaking secret.
I won’t spoil the contents of the letter, but I will say I found it perplexing that Eliza’s mom would choose to share this particular secret after her death or to have it delivered after Eliza lost her other parent. It felt cowardly and selfish, and the book doesn’t explore why she would make that choice. Maybe the reasoning will be clear to some readers, but to me, it felt cruel.
Eliza then embarks on a journey to unravel the layers of her grief and understand what her life looks like after this reveal.
My main issue with Dear Eliza, however, is its narrative style. Told from a third-person perspective, it gives us a broad view of the events but keeps us distant from Eliza’s emotions. While we’re told what she’s going through, we don’t truly feel it—something that’s crucial for a book focused on emotional growth and healing. I struggled to connect with Eliza or her journey and found it even harder to understand the motivations behind some of the actions the people around her took. While the narrator tells us why, their actions are not explored why any depth.
That said, the plot is compelling and well-paced. While the book felt flat in some areas, I was engaged in Eliza’s journey and the story’s resolution was heartwarming.
Darienne was 15 when her aunt gave her a copy of Princess by Jean Sasson, and she has been hooked on books ever since. Originally from Puerto Rico and now living in Maryland, she’s always looking to visit new coffee shops and bookstores. Her favorite genres include YA, spicy romcoms, and women’s fiction. Thanks to the Bees, she’s also now obsessed with romantasy series. Other loves include lavender lattes, sassy coffee mugs, sunrises, sleeping in, small-town charm, and big city lights. One day, she’ll write that book that lives in her head.
