Library Loans - The Name Edition

I love when the books I review have something in common, and the commonality here is the name in the title. Both books are also by new-to-me authors who I am happy I gave a try. 

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After Annie by Anna Quindlen
Published by Random House on February 27, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are left to struggle without the woman who centered their lives. Bill Brown finds himself overwhelmed, and Annie’s best friend Annemarie is lost to old bad habits without Annie’s support. It is Annie’s daughter, Ali, forced to try to care for her younger brothers and even her father, who manages to maintain some semblance of their former lives for them all, and who confronts the complicated truths of adulthood.

Yet over the course of the next year, while Annie looms large in their memories, all three are able to grow, to change, even to become stronger and more sure of themselves. The enduring power Annie gave to those who loved her is the power to love, and to go on without her.

Written in Quindlen’s emotionally resonant voice, and with her deep and generous understanding of people, After Annie is a story that ends with hope, a beautiful novel about how adversity can change us in profound ways.

When Annie dies suddenly, her husband, children, and best friend are left to pick up the pieces of their broken world.

I cannot tell a lie. Many tears were shed as I read this book, but the sobbing at the end was due to how full my heart was for Annie's family. The story begins with Annie's death, and we follow her loved ones as they are forced to navigate their first year without her.

Though their struggles were obvious, they did continue to push forward. Husband Bill, best friend Annemarie, and the children slowly felt some of their grief ease as they learned to live without Annie while still keeping her a part of their lives. I was really proud of the way they eventually turned to and found the support they needed in each other. They needed that comfort from others who had known and loved Annie. They wanted to remember her and talk about her, and who better than the most important people in Annie's world. 

Quindlen did such an incredible job capturing and exploring the complex emotions associated with losing someone so important and way before their time. It was impressive what a big presence Annie had in this story considering she died within the first page of the book. I loved getting to know her via her loved ones' memories, and it helped me comprehend the full impact she had on their lives.

The beauty of this book was in the way it made me feel. It was a study of humanity, love, and devotion and was just as much about life as it was death. Overall, my eyes are wet and my heart is full due to this lovely and touching tale.

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Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
Published by The Dial Press on January 6, 2020
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

One summer morning, twelve-year-old Edward Adler, his beloved older brother, his parents, and 183 other passengers board a flight in Newark headed for Los Angeles. Among them is a Wall Street wunderkind, a young woman coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy, an injured vet returning from Afghanistan, a septuagenarian business tycoon, and a free-spirited woman running away from her controlling husband. And then, tragically, the plane crashes. Edward is the sole survivor.

Edward's story captures the attention of the nation, but he struggles to find a place for himself in a world without his family. He continues to feel that a piece of him has been left in the sky, forever tied to the plane and all of his fellow passengers. But then he makes an unexpected discovery--one that will lead him to the answers of some of life's most profound questions: When you've lost everything, how do find yourself? How do you discover your purpose? What does it mean not just to survive, but to truly live?

Could you imagine being the sole survivor of a plane crash? Well, that was Edward's reality. At twelve years old, he lost his mother, his father, his brother,  and his home, and had a very long road to travel as he healed.

This author is new-to-me, but the premise of this story captured my attention, and it touched my heart in so many ways. One thing I really enjoyed was the structure of this story. Not only did I get to watch Edward navigate his new normal over several years, but there were flashbacks that allowed me to get to know the victims of the crash, and letters that gave me the opportunity to meet the victims' families.

The letters also were a big part of Edward's healing process. His aunt and uncle tried to shield him from anything related to the crash, but remembering those who did not survive was something that actually helped him. Another big part of his healing process was his neighbor, Shay. A incredible friendship developed between these two which I think really benefitted them both.

This book wasn't going to be anything other than emotional, but that epilogue! So wonderful and hopeful. I did cry but it was for different reasons. Overall, this was a beautiful story of healing which really touched my heart.

Have you read any good "name" books?
Let us know in the comments!