I love me some good women’s fiction, and Dear Eliza by Andrea J. Stein hits all the right notes.
What’s Dear Eliza about?
Dear Eliza follows Eliza Levinger, who, on the day of her father’s funeral, is given a letter that was written by her late mother. Inside the letter is the bombshell news that Eliza’s biological father isn’t the dad she just laid to rest.
Still unhealed from her mother’s passing ten years before, Eliza finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew, from the state of her parents’ marriage to her rightful place in her remaining family. And, of course, now she suddenly has to decide if she wants to seek out and meet her biological father.
What I enjoyed about Dear Eliza
As weird as it may sound, grief is one of my favorite topics to explore in fiction. Stein handles it expertly in Dear Eliza. I love an author who isn’t afraid to address the darker aspects of grief like depression, the urge to isolate yourself, and the fear of never being able to claw your way out of it.
While managing her grief, Eliza’s forced to confront a lot of preconceived notions about her life. We’re talking the “sainthood” of her mother, her parents’ “real” marriage, and the stepmother she’s loathed since her father married her, just to name a few. Although Eliza’s reactions at times felt very “young,” they were perfectly in keeping with a woman in her late 20s whose world has suddenly imploded. Eliza’s uncertainty, her worries, her anxiety, and her desire to be All The Things are so relatable.
You’ll root for Eliza to make a decision about her birth father. You’ll root for her to pull her way out of the darkness and find a way back to herself. And, of course, you’ll root for her to give it a go with Josh, her former high school crush who’s suddenly found his way back into her life amidst all the drama.
I also really liked how Stein treated the existence of Eliza’s biological dad. Despite a slightly cliché initial meeting between him and Eliza, their relationship and that particular plotline felt realistic and believable.
Should you read Dear Eliza?
Pick up Dear Eliza if you’re looking for solid women’s fiction that will keep you turning the pages. This novel is a poignant and well-written exploration of family dynamics and processing loss and trauma. It’s also a really good lesson about letting go of fear in order to find yourself.
What’s the book-inspired recipe for Dear Eliza?
Check back in for the book-inspired recipe: Easy Honey Challah Bread.
Although I received a complimentary advance copy of Dear Eliza from the author, all opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I was not compensated in any way for this review or for any other promotion/publicity I’ve done related to this book.
