Rosie Benson, at age twenty-four, can’t figure out her life. She’s stuck in a job she doesn’t like and isn’t particularly good at, but she’s afraid to disappoint her parents if she quits. She has a great aunt, Dotty, who is a free spirit who offers guidance without interfering. Rosie has a series of life changes which alone would be enough to knock anyone for a loop: she’s fired from her tech job, her parents divorce after thirty years of marriage, and her best friend falls in love with the man who fired her. On top of all that, Dotty dies unexpectedly, leaving Rosie devastated, having lost her primary anchor in her family. In this state of angst, Rosie reviews all her emails from Dotty, and decides to write everyone in her aunt’s email contacts to advise them of Dotty’s death and asks that they share their memories of her aunt. The replies fill in blanks in Dotty’s life that Rosie had never known and allow her to rethink her own lift and priorities and give her the strength to follow her heart.
Dear Dotty revolves around themes of self-acceptance, grief, healing, family, and friendship. The characters are well-thought out and have good character arcs. I admit I sniffled a time or two towards the end.
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Dear Dotty (HarperCollins, June 4, 2024) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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