Twelve-year-old Edward Adler is traveling across the U.S. with his parents and older brother to California when their plane crashes. Other passengers include a tycoon, a woman who is pregnant and on her way to see her boyfriend to deliver the news, a hippie who believes she has lived several other lives, and a veteran who has been discharged from the military with a serious injury. In all, 191 passengers die in the crash and Edward is the only survivor. Now he must live with his aunt and uncle as he attempts to recover physically and mentally. It is only when he makes a surprise discovery two years later that he is ready to face what happened and try to make sense out of his continued existence. Told in flashbacks, Ann Napolitano deftly characterizes the people on the plane through their actions, hopes, and regrets, making Edward's trauma more poignant. Dear Edward is a richly-crafted story of coming to terms with loss and finding meaning in one's life.
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