Five Heartbreaking Quotes from "Dear Edward" by Ann Napolitano

 

THIS BOOK, YOU GUYS. I can not remember the last time I was *this* sad that my time reading a book was over. I just wanted "Dear Edward" to never end - I wanted to stay with these characters forever and never say goodbye, I wanted to live in this book - but also I flew through it because it was so, so good. Which is all the more amazing because the world built in "Dear Edward" isn't especially cozy on the outset - a plane crash, a sole survivor - *especially* as someone with a flying phobia. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. But omg do I love it! 

 

"Dear Edward" has some *amazing* quotes that I want to share with you, and then maybe you'll get hooked and read it too! Keep reading to check them out.

 

 

Book Quotes from
"Dear Edward" by Ann Napolitano 

 

"Jane and Bruce can't help but locate the spot where the Twin Towers used to be, the same way the tongue finds the hole where a tooth was pulled."

This quote was the very first one that I highlighted in the book and it was pretty early into reading the first chapter. I love the reader buzz of starting a new book and knowing almost instantly that I am going to connect with the characters and the author's writing style. I could not get the imagery of this quote out of my mind or the feelings it evoked. Hitting a nugget like this early just really set the tone for me as I started to read "Dear Edward".

"It feels unkind that they are shoving their emotions at him when his own sadness and fear are so vast that he has to hide from them"

"Dear Edward" explores the theme of loss throughout the whole novel - and does it SO well! The author, Ann Napolitano, navigates these emotions through the eyes of the main character. Edward is a young boy who is the lone survivor of a devastating plane crash. Edward has lost his mother, father, and his brother in the crash. I don't usually love child-centered novels, because they're super tricky and easy to fumble. The author has to find a way to explore really heavy themes without sacrificing the language because of the age of the narrator, while ALSO making the concepts realistic for an adolescent to explore. And "Dear Edward" gets an A+ in all of these. I fell head over heels for Edward and just wanted to give him a hug through the entire book. The theme of loss was handled so profoundly while also keeping the emotional depth for Edward at a realistic level. That's a lot to accomplish as an author and I am so impressed by this feat pulled off by Ann Napolitano! 

"Besa gives a warm smile, which triggers a memory of Edward's mother smiling, and then triggers a wave of fear. He has the sudden desire to lay down at this woman's feet. Is every mom he encounters going to remind him of his own? If this is the case, he's doomed."

Oof! This quote. There were a few moments during "Dear Edward" that brought tears to my eyes while reading and this was definitely one of them. Such a heartbreaking way to show Edward's loss and how constant that feeling is and will continue to be throughout his life. Such a smart writing choice to show how even kindness, when you are heartbroken from the loss of a parent, can hurt. Edward's loss is so great that even an expression of love from someone else, like another mother smiling at him, just reminds him of his own mother and how much he misses her. 

"But I want you to understand that there can't be information about you- that is true - that you don't already know. Your life takes place in your own skin. No one else knows a goddamn thing, and the Internet is full of cowboys and sad people making stuff up." He pauses. "I love the internet, or at least I used to, but it's not where you go for the truth."

Can we all get this on t-shirts, mugs, and posters? I feel like this is a reminder we could all use in the social media centric age of 2020. After surviving the plane crash, Edward finds that his name has thousands of Google search results and asks his uncle to keep him updated about what is being discussed, which leads his uncle to the above heart to heart moment. It is such a profoundly true and important thing to internalize for Edward because a HUGE part of his life has been decided for him, he no longer has living parents and is staying with his aunt and uncle. It would be easy to lose your grip on reality after a loss like that. But even as an adult spending time on FB and IG, your life exists in real time, not on the internet. There is nothing that you can create in that space of just curated perfection that changes that, for better or worse. 

"Please don't write back to say you're sorry, because there is nothing to be sorry for. This was not a tragedy. Dying on your couch while watching TV by yourself is a tragedy. Dying while doing something you love with every part of your body is magic. I wish you magic, Edward."

There are so many messages that you can take away from "Dear Edward", and I think one that will stick with me is well encapsulated in this quote. The author shows us small snippets of the lives of many of the people who died on the plane and it becomes clear who died tragically and who did not. We're all going to die someday, and while we don't get to pick how that happens - we do have a lot of say about the life we lead until that moment. 

 

 

Have you read "Dear Edward"? Share your favorite quote below! And even if you haven't read this one yet, let me know your favorite quote from the ones I selected from the book. Is there one that you found particularly relatable or poignant? Let's chat! And as always, thanks for reading, readers! ❤