title: Love Letters to the Dead: A Novel
author:  Ava Dellaira 
description: Gr 9 UpDebut author Dellaira's heart-wrenching epistolary novel begins with Laurel's freshman assignment to write a letter to a dead person. She starts with a missive to Kurt Cobain, who had been a favorite of her recently deceased older sister, May. Gradually, through the teen's letters to other dead celebrities (Janis Joplin, Amelia Earhart, River Phoenix, and more), readers will begin to piece together the history of her splintered family life, including her parents' divorce and mother's virtual abandonment following May's unexplained death. Laurel is devastatingly, emotionally fragile, but she makes friends at her new high school and even starts to develop a serious love interest. Her misconstrued hero-worship of May gradually evolves into a deeper understanding of her beloved sister's strengths and many imperfections. Beautifully written, although a bit choppy in sections, particularly regarding the dead addressees' lives, this powerful novel deftly illustrates the concept that writing is an especially valuable form of healing for those dealing with overwhelming pain and grief. Best for teens who enjoyed Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV, 1999).Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY
zlib_text: Copyright
   
  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal
  copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and
  is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
   
  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the
  electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
   
   
  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the
  author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living
  or dead, is entirely coincidental.
  Litigation and Lace
  Copyright 2020 Della Cain
  ISBN: 978-1-68361-443-2
  Editor Wizards in Publishing
  Published by Decadent Publishing LLC
  
  Table of Contents
   
  Chapter One
  Chapter Two
  Chapter Three
  Chapter Four
  Chapter Five
  Chapter Six
  Chapter Seven
  Chapter Eight
  Chapter Nine
  Chapter Ten
  Chapter Eleven
  Chapter Twelv