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Letters to Amelia
Grace Porter is reeling from grief after her partner of seven years unexpectedly leaves. Amidst her heartache, the 30 year-old library tech is tasked with reading newly discovered letters that Amelia Earhart wrote to her lover, Gene Vidal. She becomes captivated by the famous pilot who disappeared in 1937. Letter by letter, she understands more about the aviation hero while piecing her own life back together.
When Grace discovers she is pregnant, her life becomes more intertwined with the mysterious pilot and Grace begins to write her own letters to Amelia. While navigating her third trimester, amidst new conspiracy theories about Amelia’s disappearance, the search for her remains, and the impending publication of her private letters, Grace goes on a pilgrimage of her own.
Letters to Amelia is a stunning, contemporary epistolary novel from the creator of the internationally acclaimed Love Lettering Project. It underscores the power of reading and writing letters for both connection and self-discovery, and celebrates the unwritten, undocumented parts of our lives.
Above all, Letters to Amelia is a story of the essential need for connection—and our universal ability to find hope in the face of fear.
Praise for Letters to Amelia:
"Brimming over with Lindsay Zier-Vogel's obvious love for the story of Amelia Earhart, Letters to Amelia is a wonderful novel about flight and passion, about love-letters and reaching out; a novel about how we never know quite what's coming next, but still keep launching ourselves into the blue tomorrow."—Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13
"A tender portrait of heartbreak and a thoughtful ode to new motherhood. Letters to Amelia is an endorsement of finding our own ways to heal, and a celebration of that big, messy, wonderful journey of coming into one's own. Charming and beautifully rendered, this is a big-hearted hopeful novel, full of life and love." —Stacey May Fowles, author of Baseball Life Advice: Loving the Game that Saved Me
"When we think of Amelia Earhart, we think enigmatic adventurer and feminist pioneer—and, of course, of her mysterious disappearance. But in Letters to Amelia, we meet a different Amelia Earhart, as seen through the eyes of Grace, the novel’s protagonist, a young library tech tasked with reading her letters: an Amelia who is funny, charming, joyful, sad, and most of all, full of life. Zier-Vogel writes with uncanny empathy about heartbreak, friendship, motherhood, and the common threads that connect women across time, geography, and even between earth and sky. Letters to Amelia is a gorgeous, big-hearted debut that will make you feel like you are flying, and Zier-Vogel is a writer whose career is about to soar." —Amy Jones, author of Every Little Piece of Me
"Letters to Amelia invites us to hold our heroines close and to take heart – it is gentle and joyous, full of tenderness, alive and sturdy with hope." —Anne Michaels, author of Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault
When Grace discovers she is pregnant, her life becomes more intertwined with the mysterious pilot and Grace begins to write her own letters to Amelia. While navigating her third trimester, amidst new conspiracy theories about Amelia’s disappearance, the search for her remains, and the impending publication of her private letters, Grace goes on a pilgrimage of her own.
Letters to Amelia is a stunning, contemporary epistolary novel from the creator of the internationally acclaimed Love Lettering Project. It underscores the power of reading and writing letters for both connection and self-discovery, and celebrates the unwritten, undocumented parts of our lives.
Above all, Letters to Amelia is a story of the essential need for connection—and our universal ability to find hope in the face of fear.
Praise for Letters to Amelia:
"Brimming over with Lindsay Zier-Vogel's obvious love for the story of Amelia Earhart, Letters to Amelia is a wonderful novel about flight and passion, about love-letters and reaching out; a novel about how we never know quite what's coming next, but still keep launching ourselves into the blue tomorrow."—Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13
"A tender portrait of heartbreak and a thoughtful ode to new motherhood. Letters to Amelia is an endorsement of finding our own ways to heal, and a celebration of that big, messy, wonderful journey of coming into one's own. Charming and beautifully rendered, this is a big-hearted hopeful novel, full of life and love." —Stacey May Fowles, author of Baseball Life Advice: Loving the Game that Saved Me
"When we think of Amelia Earhart, we think enigmatic adventurer and feminist pioneer—and, of course, of her mysterious disappearance. But in Letters to Amelia, we meet a different Amelia Earhart, as seen through the eyes of Grace, the novel’s protagonist, a young library tech tasked with reading her letters: an Amelia who is funny, charming, joyful, sad, and most of all, full of life. Zier-Vogel writes with uncanny empathy about heartbreak, friendship, motherhood, and the common threads that connect women across time, geography, and even between earth and sky. Letters to Amelia is a gorgeous, big-hearted debut that will make you feel like you are flying, and Zier-Vogel is a writer whose career is about to soar." —Amy Jones, author of Every Little Piece of Me
"Letters to Amelia invites us to hold our heroines close and to take heart – it is gentle and joyous, full of tenderness, alive and sturdy with hope." —Anne Michaels, author of Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault
282 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 44 reviews
September 18, 2021
This started out pretty well… but by the time I was halfway through it was de-railing, and by about 80% of the way through I was ready to be done with it… but I had so much already invested in it that I finished it anyway.
I find Amelia Earheart an fascinating woman so was intrigued by the promise/premise of this novel. I found it interesting to read about how it took a year of planning to organise for Amelia to fly from Hawaii to Oakland (p156). Hard to imagine these days. Or how she had to take a break from flying on account of it being winter and there being snow (p175). Also hard to imagine these days. These kinds of details - of which there are many more - allowed for a real window into what the world was like - and provided touchstones for today’s generation(s) to really understand just how different the world was not so very long ago.
There were also some really good take-away messages… mostly about courage and fear, and that we - all - are more than the simple stories that get told about us. But… the positive messaging was overwhelmed by ‘other issues’ I had with the book.
Sadly though, my first disappointment was to find that, while this is billed as an ‘epistolary novel’ - a style I usually quite enjoy - it is not actually written as a series of letters. Yes, there are some (fictional) letters between Amelia and Gene - and of course the odd letter written by the protagonist, Grace, to Amelia and Gene.. but, to call this an ‘epistolary novel’ is equivalent to fraud.
This reads as though it is in the present moment - but there are more than a few places where it is patently obvious that this is taking place a few years ago. On p133 there is a reference to both cash fares and tokens (in relation to a trip on the TTC)... but the TTC stopped selling tokens in November 2019. Then on page 187 there is a reference to listening to the mother corporation (CBC) while they work - ‘Anna-Maria, Tom, Gill.’ Anna-Maria Tremonte left The Current in the spring of 2019; Tom Power took over as host of Q in August of 2016; and, Gill Deacon was off work for her second go at cancer treatments between October 2018 and September 2019.
Do the math and this all means that Grace had her baby in either June 2017 or June 2018. Which is all fine and dandy, but nowhere is it even so much as hinted at that this is not taking place in the ‘Here and Now’ (pun intended!) nor is there any (apparent) reason why it needed to have taken place in the past - albeit the recent past. Usually there is a reason for a novel to be set at a particular moment in time - like pre-cell phones, or pre- internet, or such. I read no reason for why this is set when it is, and that bugs me. 2017 would be the 80th anniversary of the Earheart’s disappearance but nothing is made of that in the novel… This really bugs me.
Then there are all the other ‘inconsistencies’ throughout the novel… and there are multitudes of these! For instance:
... On p141… She’s fifteen weeks pregnant when arriving at her parents place for christmas… but on p151 - after Christmas, back home to tell Jamie, she’ll be ‘three and a half months along’... how does that work?
... Also on p151 we’re to believe that she really heads out alone in -35 degree (before windchill) weather. Only an idiot does that. And only an idiot allows someone to do that (her parents in this case). My family is from the Prairies. You just don’t do that shit.
... On p170, on the plane home she keeps checking for bleeding - miscarriage. Why is she so paranoid about it? There is no reason given for it… no medical or family history or such provided. This all just reads as drama for its own sake.
... On p179, she is called to task by her boss because she spends hours on each synopsis and they’re getting too long. Really? The letters are two minute reads at best! What isn’t the author sharing with us? Perhaps if this had actually been written as an epistolary novel - with letters of some depth and length - this might be believable. But as it is, this is just asking too much of the reader to buy into.
... On p212, Grace calls around to see about arranging for daycare. The baby is allegedly the size of an eggplant. But earlier (p208) it’s at least halfway through March (discussion about carrying salt with her to deal with ice on sidewalks), so she must be at least 7 months. Hate to break it to you but a baby is way larger than an eggplant by that time. (And I looked up - of course I did! - a bunch of these websites where they compare fetal size to various fruits and vegetables. What a joke! So glad they weren’t around in pre-historic time when I was pregnant. Just wrap your brains around length and weight and read your ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ and forgot all that nonsense about your baby being a cantaloupe or a bunch of kale).
... In the same place, it’s a surprise to her that infant daycare is going to cost $106 per day? She is thirty something, 7 months pregnant and surprised to learn this? Really? What planet has she been living on?
... The last one I’ll mention is on p223 when she goes to the pool. She mentions that her ‘bathing suit barely fits’... but just a little ahead of this, on p217, she refers to her ‘enormous belly’ which actually blocks out the wall opposite while she’s lying waiting for her doctor to come into the examination room. Which is it? She can still fit into her bathing suit - at 7 months pregnant (no way I could have, btw) - or her belly is enormous? You can’t have both at the same time!
There are more… but that’s enough for now. These ‘inconsistencies’ really really really drove my buggy all the way through. This is the kind of sloppiness that, to me, says that the author just didn’t care enough to get it right. (Although I can also see that they are so involved in their work that they missed these little things. Fair enough I suppose.) So then I say….Hello editor!! Where were you? Why didn’t you find these things?
I also found that the parallels - between Grace and Amelia - were a little much to believe at times… especially at the very end (which I won’t mention specifically as it would be a definite spoiler)... Grace’s last singular act before settling down to ‘nest’ with her baby. Far too contrived…
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy (which it appears I only got to reading after the book had released... oh well... busy time on my TBR pile).
I find Amelia Earheart an fascinating woman so was intrigued by the promise/premise of this novel. I found it interesting to read about how it took a year of planning to organise for Amelia to fly from Hawaii to Oakland (p156). Hard to imagine these days. Or how she had to take a break from flying on account of it being winter and there being snow (p175). Also hard to imagine these days. These kinds of details - of which there are many more - allowed for a real window into what the world was like - and provided touchstones for today’s generation(s) to really understand just how different the world was not so very long ago.
There were also some really good take-away messages… mostly about courage and fear, and that we - all - are more than the simple stories that get told about us. But… the positive messaging was overwhelmed by ‘other issues’ I had with the book.
Sadly though, my first disappointment was to find that, while this is billed as an ‘epistolary novel’ - a style I usually quite enjoy - it is not actually written as a series of letters. Yes, there are some (fictional) letters between Amelia and Gene - and of course the odd letter written by the protagonist, Grace, to Amelia and Gene.. but, to call this an ‘epistolary novel’ is equivalent to fraud.
This reads as though it is in the present moment - but there are more than a few places where it is patently obvious that this is taking place a few years ago. On p133 there is a reference to both cash fares and tokens (in relation to a trip on the TTC)... but the TTC stopped selling tokens in November 2019. Then on page 187 there is a reference to listening to the mother corporation (CBC) while they work - ‘Anna-Maria, Tom, Gill.’ Anna-Maria Tremonte left The Current in the spring of 2019; Tom Power took over as host of Q in August of 2016; and, Gill Deacon was off work for her second go at cancer treatments between October 2018 and September 2019.
Do the math and this all means that Grace had her baby in either June 2017 or June 2018. Which is all fine and dandy, but nowhere is it even so much as hinted at that this is not taking place in the ‘Here and Now’ (pun intended!) nor is there any (apparent) reason why it needed to have taken place in the past - albeit the recent past. Usually there is a reason for a novel to be set at a particular moment in time - like pre-cell phones, or pre- internet, or such. I read no reason for why this is set when it is, and that bugs me. 2017 would be the 80th anniversary of the Earheart’s disappearance but nothing is made of that in the novel… This really bugs me.
Then there are all the other ‘inconsistencies’ throughout the novel… and there are multitudes of these! For instance:
... On p141… She’s fifteen weeks pregnant when arriving at her parents place for christmas… but on p151 - after Christmas, back home to tell Jamie, she’ll be ‘three and a half months along’... how does that work?
... Also on p151 we’re to believe that she really heads out alone in -35 degree (before windchill) weather. Only an idiot does that. And only an idiot allows someone to do that (her parents in this case). My family is from the Prairies. You just don’t do that shit.
... On p170, on the plane home she keeps checking for bleeding - miscarriage. Why is she so paranoid about it? There is no reason given for it… no medical or family history or such provided. This all just reads as drama for its own sake.
... On p179, she is called to task by her boss because she spends hours on each synopsis and they’re getting too long. Really? The letters are two minute reads at best! What isn’t the author sharing with us? Perhaps if this had actually been written as an epistolary novel - with letters of some depth and length - this might be believable. But as it is, this is just asking too much of the reader to buy into.
... On p212, Grace calls around to see about arranging for daycare. The baby is allegedly the size of an eggplant. But earlier (p208) it’s at least halfway through March (discussion about carrying salt with her to deal with ice on sidewalks), so she must be at least 7 months. Hate to break it to you but a baby is way larger than an eggplant by that time. (And I looked up - of course I did! - a bunch of these websites where they compare fetal size to various fruits and vegetables. What a joke! So glad they weren’t around in pre-historic time when I was pregnant. Just wrap your brains around length and weight and read your ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ and forgot all that nonsense about your baby being a cantaloupe or a bunch of kale).
... In the same place, it’s a surprise to her that infant daycare is going to cost $106 per day? She is thirty something, 7 months pregnant and surprised to learn this? Really? What planet has she been living on?
... The last one I’ll mention is on p223 when she goes to the pool. She mentions that her ‘bathing suit barely fits’... but just a little ahead of this, on p217, she refers to her ‘enormous belly’ which actually blocks out the wall opposite while she’s lying waiting for her doctor to come into the examination room. Which is it? She can still fit into her bathing suit - at 7 months pregnant (no way I could have, btw) - or her belly is enormous? You can’t have both at the same time!
There are more… but that’s enough for now. These ‘inconsistencies’ really really really drove my buggy all the way through. This is the kind of sloppiness that, to me, says that the author just didn’t care enough to get it right. (Although I can also see that they are so involved in their work that they missed these little things. Fair enough I suppose.) So then I say….Hello editor!! Where were you? Why didn’t you find these things?
I also found that the parallels - between Grace and Amelia - were a little much to believe at times… especially at the very end (which I won’t mention specifically as it would be a definite spoiler)... Grace’s last singular act before settling down to ‘nest’ with her baby. Far too contrived…
Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy (which it appears I only got to reading after the book had released... oh well... busy time on my TBR pile).
Read
March 27, 2022letters to amelia understands what it's like to feel so incredibly close to someone you know only through the written word! i read most of it on the verge of tears because grace felt so close to amelia and i felt so close to grace. while grace watched the toronto air show thinking of amelia, i read letters to amelia at christie pits with the air show roaring mercilessly overhead, occasionally catching glimpses of it through the trees. every word felt so close and intimate to me and i think i read it at exactly the right time.
p.s. it comes out tomorrow!! :')
p.s. it comes out tomorrow!! :')
December 6, 2021
[ From my interview with the book's author on my blog ]
I always love having the chance to get inside the head of another writer — and when that writer is a debut novelist, well, I have to say I find it all the more thrilling. I understand what’s involved in getting a non-fiction book out of your head and into the world, but imagining a novel into being? That seems like sheer magic to me.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Lindsay Zier-Vogel about her own novel-writing process. I approached her after reading (and loving) her debut novel, Letters to Amelia, a few weeks ago. The novel is warm, kind, and entertaining. I sat down to read it one evening and realized, a couple of hours later, that I’d devoured most of the book in a single sitting and stayed up way past my bedtime. That’s how much I loved this book and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it, too.
[ Now on with my conversation with Lindsay….
I always love having the chance to get inside the head of another writer — and when that writer is a debut novelist, well, I have to say I find it all the more thrilling. I understand what’s involved in getting a non-fiction book out of your head and into the world, but imagining a novel into being? That seems like sheer magic to me.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Lindsay Zier-Vogel about her own novel-writing process. I approached her after reading (and loving) her debut novel, Letters to Amelia, a few weeks ago. The novel is warm, kind, and entertaining. I sat down to read it one evening and realized, a couple of hours later, that I’d devoured most of the book in a single sitting and stayed up way past my bedtime. That’s how much I loved this book and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it, too.
[ Now on with my conversation with Lindsay….
August 21, 2021
LETTERS TO AMELIA by Lindsay Zier-Vogel is a great debut novel! It’s about Grace, recently dumped, who begins a new work project reading Amelia Earhart’s secret letters. I found myself completely sucked into this story and read most of the book in one day! The writing was kept interesting with the inclusion of the letters. Grace is a very relatable character as she deals with her new single lifestyle, prying coworkers and her extreme interest in Amelia Earhart. Of course I loved the Canadian setting! In the end this is a novel about finding connection in this world and I really enjoyed it!
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Thank you to Bookhug Press for my advance reading copy!
.
Thank you to Bookhug Press for my advance reading copy!
November 2, 2021
**audiobook version**
Narrator 5 stars
Great voice. Did well bringing the characters to life
Story 3 stars
This took me a little bit to get into but got there in the end. While the letters gave this a interesting side story I personally would have enjoyed this book more if it was simply about Grace and her story.
Narrator 5 stars
Great voice. Did well bringing the characters to life
Story 3 stars
This took me a little bit to get into but got there in the end. While the letters gave this a interesting side story I personally would have enjoyed this book more if it was simply about Grace and her story.
June 10, 2021
Letters to Amelia is a gorgeous story of love, family bonds, and close friendships. It sucked me in right away, and kept me up most of the night. I had a hard time putting this one down. Immediately I found Grace, the protagonist, to be so relatable. It felt the same with the other characters, Jenna, Carolyn, and Jamie, I felt like they were all friends of mine. Lindsay's conversational and down to earth tone made this novel a pleasure to read.
When Grace is given the box of letters, I felt my own heart start to beat faster, excitement building within me. It felt absolutely thrilling to think of Grace opening that box, especially in her time of need. Reading each letter, beautifully written by Lindsay, had the power to transport me back in time. It's fascinating to think of Grace becoming so intertwined with Amelia, her adventures, and her love story, all the while she's caught up in her own journey.
With a prose so vividly descriptive, Letters to Amelia, will take you on an adventure from the streets of Toronto around Queen Street and Kensington Market, all the way to the beautiful pastures of Newfoundland, where you'll imagine walking around beautiful places like Harbour Grace and Cape Spear.
I didn't know much about Amelia Earhart before picking this one up, but felt that, like Grace, I got to know her more as the story progressed. As Grace was sitting at her desk in the reader's room Googling, I found myself doing the same. The cherry on top was finding out about Amelia's landing in Derry, just an hour's drive from where I was born and raised. I had no idea and to think of her wandering around the very same streets that I spent so much time really brought a smile to my face.
Letters to Amelia made for an charming read. I found it incredibly relatable, and found that Lindsay was able to capture the emotions of Grace so accurately throughout. Toward the end, I felt so close to Grace and her story. This was an absolutely lovely, lighthearted, and beautifully written story.
Avocado Diaries
When Grace is given the box of letters, I felt my own heart start to beat faster, excitement building within me. It felt absolutely thrilling to think of Grace opening that box, especially in her time of need. Reading each letter, beautifully written by Lindsay, had the power to transport me back in time. It's fascinating to think of Grace becoming so intertwined with Amelia, her adventures, and her love story, all the while she's caught up in her own journey.
With a prose so vividly descriptive, Letters to Amelia, will take you on an adventure from the streets of Toronto around Queen Street and Kensington Market, all the way to the beautiful pastures of Newfoundland, where you'll imagine walking around beautiful places like Harbour Grace and Cape Spear.
I didn't know much about Amelia Earhart before picking this one up, but felt that, like Grace, I got to know her more as the story progressed. As Grace was sitting at her desk in the reader's room Googling, I found myself doing the same. The cherry on top was finding out about Amelia's landing in Derry, just an hour's drive from where I was born and raised. I had no idea and to think of her wandering around the very same streets that I spent so much time really brought a smile to my face.
Letters to Amelia made for an charming read. I found it incredibly relatable, and found that Lindsay was able to capture the emotions of Grace so accurately throughout. Toward the end, I felt so close to Grace and her story. This was an absolutely lovely, lighthearted, and beautifully written story.
Avocado Diaries
October 18, 2021
A wonderously uplifting story about connection, and soaring through life's hurdles.
In Letters to Amelia we meet Grace Porter who has recently gone from a long-term relationship to suddenly being single. She works at a library where she has been tasked to work on a new project, reading the secret letters of Amelia Earhart to her lover. As she gets deeper into the project and begins putting her life back together, Grace finds herself facinated with Earhart. She then discover she is pregnant and as she navigates this new path her life is headed in she begins writing her own letters to Earhart.
This lovely debut sucked me right in! Lindsay Vier-Vogle's prose engrossed me and I become intrigued by Earhearts life too. I enjoyed Grace's character, and how she connected with Earhart. Using the letters in this novel to tell the story was so creative and gave it a lot of heart!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
In Letters to Amelia we meet Grace Porter who has recently gone from a long-term relationship to suddenly being single. She works at a library where she has been tasked to work on a new project, reading the secret letters of Amelia Earhart to her lover. As she gets deeper into the project and begins putting her life back together, Grace finds herself facinated with Earhart. She then discover she is pregnant and as she navigates this new path her life is headed in she begins writing her own letters to Earhart.
This lovely debut sucked me right in! Lindsay Vier-Vogle's prose engrossed me and I become intrigued by Earhearts life too. I enjoyed Grace's character, and how she connected with Earhart. Using the letters in this novel to tell the story was so creative and gave it a lot of heart!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
September 25, 2021
Babies are pauses in the life sentences of adulthood...
How did the book make me feel/think?
Alongside my mother’s deathbed, the second time I watched my mother die, she begged and pleaded with my mother |grandmother|, the night before they came to take me away, to keep me.
Society, religion, and community had deemed my mother unfit and unlovable. Her support network only exacerbated her failure. What chance does a newborn have?
For the next 27-years, I acted as a painful reminder of her unworthiness, which manifested in her telling me every time she saw me, I would never amount to more than a miserable failure—until my mother |grandmother| died the first time. I cannot fathom the unrelenting pain she endured. My mother’s last words to me were, “I’m never going to see you again, am I?” We hadn’t seen each other in 23-years—after I accidentally discovered she was my mother (2003).
Letters to Amelia sent me spinning in a heavy fog as I tried to navigate emotions about the ephemeral nature of everything that is life.
I felt like I was about to crash land. Dark. I know.
Why did it elicit such powerful emotions?
Because I came to an understanding most things in life are transitory. Especially birth.
A man could never comprehend the loneliness involved in giving birth + having a new life growing inside you. Especially when men, often absentee, even if they choose to stick around, attempt to take control, often mansplaining their ignorance.
I realized (I like to think I’m self-aware enough to understand, my realization may be flawed), giving birth is the epitome of “new” in a world that craves “new.” As much as billions-upon-billions of babies have been born before, the 40 weeks of pregnancy must be the most terrifying, + isolating time women must deal with.
Hearing you are not the only one must strip away an expectant mother’s inherent need to feel special, unique. And support networks must have an unknowing capacity to obliterate happiness by their relentless need to relive what was once “new” for them—or worse yet, have their other half, if they stick around, try to impose their will on something they can never possibly understand.
A baby arrives in 40-weeks, giving expectant mothers a short window to dismantle their lives and reinvent who they need to become—as their support networks one by one retreat into their own lives.
Letters to Amelia is a powerful read about finding support in a place where judgement is replaced with the comfort of kindness.
Fortunately for me, the fog lifted, I landed safely. Why? Because I have a burning desire to see what’s new!
WRITTEN: September 24, 2021
How did the book make me feel/think?
Alongside my mother’s deathbed, the second time I watched my mother die, she begged and pleaded with my mother |grandmother|, the night before they came to take me away, to keep me.
Society, religion, and community had deemed my mother unfit and unlovable. Her support network only exacerbated her failure. What chance does a newborn have?
For the next 27-years, I acted as a painful reminder of her unworthiness, which manifested in her telling me every time she saw me, I would never amount to more than a miserable failure—until my mother |grandmother| died the first time. I cannot fathom the unrelenting pain she endured. My mother’s last words to me were, “I’m never going to see you again, am I?” We hadn’t seen each other in 23-years—after I accidentally discovered she was my mother (2003).
Letters to Amelia sent me spinning in a heavy fog as I tried to navigate emotions about the ephemeral nature of everything that is life.
I felt like I was about to crash land. Dark. I know.
Why did it elicit such powerful emotions?
Because I came to an understanding most things in life are transitory. Especially birth.
A man could never comprehend the loneliness involved in giving birth + having a new life growing inside you. Especially when men, often absentee, even if they choose to stick around, attempt to take control, often mansplaining their ignorance.
I realized (I like to think I’m self-aware enough to understand, my realization may be flawed), giving birth is the epitome of “new” in a world that craves “new.” As much as billions-upon-billions of babies have been born before, the 40 weeks of pregnancy must be the most terrifying, + isolating time women must deal with.
Hearing you are not the only one must strip away an expectant mother’s inherent need to feel special, unique. And support networks must have an unknowing capacity to obliterate happiness by their relentless need to relive what was once “new” for them—or worse yet, have their other half, if they stick around, try to impose their will on something they can never possibly understand.
A baby arrives in 40-weeks, giving expectant mothers a short window to dismantle their lives and reinvent who they need to become—as their support networks one by one retreat into their own lives.
Letters to Amelia is a powerful read about finding support in a place where judgement is replaced with the comfort of kindness.
Fortunately for me, the fog lifted, I landed safely. Why? Because I have a burning desire to see what’s new!
WRITTEN: September 24, 2021
September 21, 2021
Letters to Amelia is a love letter to so many things: unexpected connections, defying expectations, standing up for the hardest truths, the kind of self-discovery that sometimes has jagged edges - and of course, letter-writing itself.
At the lowest point in her life, the novel's protagonist Grace discovers old letters written by Amelia Earhart. Slowly, she becomes sucked into Amelia's world, clinging to it as she processes her own new reality. Amelia's life becomes not only an outlet for Grace, but a catalyst for action and transformation. She begins to write reflective, often confessional letters to Amelia that will never be read, and undergoes a mission to find the real person at the heart of the Amelia Earhart story.
Lindsay's lifelong love of letter-writing is clear, as the founder of the internationally-renowned Love Lettering Project, and the way she's breathed life into fictionalized correspondence is nothing short of magic. The Amelia Earhart in this novel is, to me, the true one.
At the lowest point in her life, the novel's protagonist Grace discovers old letters written by Amelia Earhart. Slowly, she becomes sucked into Amelia's world, clinging to it as she processes her own new reality. Amelia's life becomes not only an outlet for Grace, but a catalyst for action and transformation. She begins to write reflective, often confessional letters to Amelia that will never be read, and undergoes a mission to find the real person at the heart of the Amelia Earhart story.
Lindsay's lifelong love of letter-writing is clear, as the founder of the internationally-renowned Love Lettering Project, and the way she's breathed life into fictionalized correspondence is nothing short of magic. The Amelia Earhart in this novel is, to me, the true one.
January 2, 2022
What a great time to take in the heroism of Amelia Earhart's life in the form of a highly immersive novel, set in Canada to boot. This book offers up an appreciation of the audacity and sheer bravery of Amelia Earhart's trailblazing achievements. It's also a fun read, with the Earhart story tacked on to a very modern personal struggle, and I am thankful to Ann Douglas for her great review and cementing my decision to pick it up.
November 22, 2021
Grace works at a library in Toronto, but is going through crises in her personal life. She is tasked with going through a set of letters from Amelia Earhart that have just been discovered in a private collection.
Although I couldn't connect with Grace and her oddball decision making, I enjoyed this story using actual historical events and building a present day fiction from them.
Although I couldn't connect with Grace and her oddball decision making, I enjoyed this story using actual historical events and building a present day fiction from them.
January 19, 2022
don’t know how i feel about the ending. i wish it was a bit longer but it’s a nice read. the story reminded me that all will eventually work out as time goes by.
September 12, 2021
A lovely, gentle debut that offers a heartfelt ode to Amelia Earhart and Toronto. Perfect for fans of The Great Circle looking for their next great, emotion-filled read.
March 14, 2023
I picked this one up because of my book club and I kinda regret it. I went into reading this book with absolutely no idea what it was about. I figured there must be a connection to Amelia Earhart but that was the extent of my knowledge. Now, usually I rue the fact that I didn’t read the blurb as that would have warned me about what to expect, but the blurb is somewhat misleading too. So, suffice to say, I didn’t like this book and nothing could’ve prevented it other than me not reading it to begin with.
So, where do I begin with the issues with the book? Well, let’s start with the fact that the book includes fictional letters written by Amelia to her rumoured lover Gene Vidal. These letters are supposed to be scandalous love letters but really they just come across as a friend writing to another about their exciting adventures, their worries and their annoyances. Romance is completely missing from these letters, so the central premise that these love letters help the protagonist work through her lost love, doesn’t work.
And then, the letters don’t come across as genuine or authentic. Something about them feels too contemporary. I think it was the use of the word boyfriend in one of them, and also how angelic Amelia came across—not wanting to take credit for others’ work, making sacrifices for her family, etc. Because this key plot device was so uncanny, I couldn’t become invested in the book. I’m sure there’s some truth to the details of the flights and Amelia’s eccentricities, but historical fiction just never does justice to the actual person.
So let’s get to the main problem with the book—it’s Grace, the protagonist. I am so sick and tired of reading about these stupid women who have no life or personality other than having been attached to a man once in their lives. Does no one write female characters differently? My gawd, she is so tedious. The book starts with her partner leaving her one day out of the blue and I’m like, ‘ma’am, you have no ambition or growth prospects and sound boring as all hell, no wonder he left you’. How does she have the one friend Jenna? Grace is so damn clingy, needy and self-centred.
She’s overwrought over the breakup in the first few chapters and then gets super involved in Amelia’s letters. Then Grace sleeps with her ex and gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby without letting the ex know. I mean, this is the most predictable story arc written for a woman character. Like, come on. Is there not a single book out there where the female character definitely wants to stick to her guns of no kids? Why do I keep finding these cliche characters?
And Grace is completely clueless and at sea even when she knows she’s pregnant. Get help. Find community. Do something other than throwing a dart in the air. And of course, she has parents who have a lovely home in some other town that she can retreat to. And she has her grandparents’ property that she could use. And of course her ex is happy to support her. And of course he’s very wealthy and successful. And of course, she has nary a complication during the whole ordeal and sails through it all. It’s not practical or realistic. If every person in real life who got pregnant and decided to carry it out on a whim did what Grace does, they’d be homeless, and scared and probably worse. Life is not smooth-sailing especially for single pregnant people. And this isn’t an easy thing to go through for the body either so it’s ridiculous that there are exactly two contrived moments when Grace panics for her pregnancy despite there being no lead up to it.
Grace and her connection to Amelia is tenuous at best. It’s not a parallel at all. Grace being protective of Amelia makes sense, because it��s annoying that female figures usually get cut down to who their partners were, but the author herself only intertwined Amelia and Grace’s stories when Grace found a rumour that Amelia may have had a secret child. I mean, let’s reduce a pivotal feminist figure to what her reproductive organs may have done once.
This book is annoying and pedantic. It is exactly why so much historical fiction (this isn’t that genre but tried to be) is so bad. Most of these authors simply don’t know how to honour female figures of the past. And they write even worse, tropey female characters in the present. And worst of all—the book claims to be an epistolary novel when the letters make up a fraction of the story. Plus, Grace’s letters enter the picture three-quarters of the way through and there’s like 5 of them at best.
Poorly written book with frustratingly boring characters. Amelia Earhart deserves better.
So, where do I begin with the issues with the book? Well, let’s start with the fact that the book includes fictional letters written by Amelia to her rumoured lover Gene Vidal. These letters are supposed to be scandalous love letters but really they just come across as a friend writing to another about their exciting adventures, their worries and their annoyances. Romance is completely missing from these letters, so the central premise that these love letters help the protagonist work through her lost love, doesn’t work.
And then, the letters don’t come across as genuine or authentic. Something about them feels too contemporary. I think it was the use of the word boyfriend in one of them, and also how angelic Amelia came across—not wanting to take credit for others’ work, making sacrifices for her family, etc. Because this key plot device was so uncanny, I couldn’t become invested in the book. I’m sure there’s some truth to the details of the flights and Amelia’s eccentricities, but historical fiction just never does justice to the actual person.
So let’s get to the main problem with the book—it’s Grace, the protagonist. I am so sick and tired of reading about these stupid women who have no life or personality other than having been attached to a man once in their lives. Does no one write female characters differently? My gawd, she is so tedious. The book starts with her partner leaving her one day out of the blue and I’m like, ‘ma’am, you have no ambition or growth prospects and sound boring as all hell, no wonder he left you’. How does she have the one friend Jenna? Grace is so damn clingy, needy and self-centred.
She’s overwrought over the breakup in the first few chapters and then gets super involved in Amelia’s letters. Then Grace sleeps with her ex and gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby without letting the ex know. I mean, this is the most predictable story arc written for a woman character. Like, come on. Is there not a single book out there where the female character definitely wants to stick to her guns of no kids? Why do I keep finding these cliche characters?
And Grace is completely clueless and at sea even when she knows she’s pregnant. Get help. Find community. Do something other than throwing a dart in the air. And of course, she has parents who have a lovely home in some other town that she can retreat to. And she has her grandparents’ property that she could use. And of course her ex is happy to support her. And of course he’s very wealthy and successful. And of course, she has nary a complication during the whole ordeal and sails through it all. It’s not practical or realistic. If every person in real life who got pregnant and decided to carry it out on a whim did what Grace does, they’d be homeless, and scared and probably worse. Life is not smooth-sailing especially for single pregnant people. And this isn’t an easy thing to go through for the body either so it’s ridiculous that there are exactly two contrived moments when Grace panics for her pregnancy despite there being no lead up to it.
Grace and her connection to Amelia is tenuous at best. It’s not a parallel at all. Grace being protective of Amelia makes sense, because it��s annoying that female figures usually get cut down to who their partners were, but the author herself only intertwined Amelia and Grace’s stories when Grace found a rumour that Amelia may have had a secret child. I mean, let’s reduce a pivotal feminist figure to what her reproductive organs may have done once.
This book is annoying and pedantic. It is exactly why so much historical fiction (this isn’t that genre but tried to be) is so bad. Most of these authors simply don’t know how to honour female figures of the past. And they write even worse, tropey female characters in the present. And worst of all—the book claims to be an epistolary novel when the letters make up a fraction of the story. Plus, Grace’s letters enter the picture three-quarters of the way through and there’s like 5 of them at best.
Poorly written book with frustratingly boring characters. Amelia Earhart deserves better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2021
I was looking forward to reading a novel that included fictional letters from Amelia Earhart and was generally intrigued by the promise/premise of this novel.
Although I did enjoy the story itself, there were aspects that really did not ring true and spoiled the overall novel for me.
For example:
In the fictional letters from Amelia to Gene, they read much more like the vernacular of a 30-something in the 2020’s than from someone a hundred years ago. Not only was the common parlance in those letters written as if in the current here-and-now but the content itself in several of those letters was not as well researched or thought out as it could have been.
There were also many inconsistencies in the novel. And one that was laughable was where she was visiting her parents in Saskatchewan for Christmas. She claims it was also 30 below zero, which is entirely possible, but she takes a walk to her aunt’s home in that weather to have a look around (it’s now vacant). Low and behold there is a barn swallow flying around in the abandoned house — not! Barn swallows (all swallows actually) only spend their summers in Canada and the rest of the year migrate to South and Central America.
There are more inconsistencies but this was such a glaring and laughable one, I could hardly believe that the proof reader, editor, and publisher completely missed such an obvious one. In fact, part way through I thought I might be reading a self published book and had to do a search to make sure this was actually published by a traditional press.
Sure there are some positive messages regarding fear and courage to glean in her novel, but it was all just a bit too simple, lacking any real depth.
She otherwise told a decent, albeit simple, easy-to-read story.
Although I did enjoy the story itself, there were aspects that really did not ring true and spoiled the overall novel for me.
For example:
In the fictional letters from Amelia to Gene, they read much more like the vernacular of a 30-something in the 2020’s than from someone a hundred years ago. Not only was the common parlance in those letters written as if in the current here-and-now but the content itself in several of those letters was not as well researched or thought out as it could have been.
There were also many inconsistencies in the novel. And one that was laughable was where she was visiting her parents in Saskatchewan for Christmas. She claims it was also 30 below zero, which is entirely possible, but she takes a walk to her aunt’s home in that weather to have a look around (it’s now vacant). Low and behold there is a barn swallow flying around in the abandoned house — not! Barn swallows (all swallows actually) only spend their summers in Canada and the rest of the year migrate to South and Central America.
There are more inconsistencies but this was such a glaring and laughable one, I could hardly believe that the proof reader, editor, and publisher completely missed such an obvious one. In fact, part way through I thought I might be reading a self published book and had to do a search to make sure this was actually published by a traditional press.
Sure there are some positive messages regarding fear and courage to glean in her novel, but it was all just a bit too simple, lacking any real depth.
She otherwise told a decent, albeit simple, easy-to-read story.
October 4, 2021
I want to preface this by saying that I was going into this hoping for a feel good story - and it did not make me feel good for the majority of the time. While the synopsis warned me that she was going through a breakup - I didn't expect to have so many feelings.
I really felt her sorrow. I recall what it feels like to go through a breakup and it is painful and hard. The way Grace descripes her love for Jamie, you can clearly see that she was expecting to spend forever with him - made me think about how I would feel if my husband one day said he no longer loved me (pretty fricken awful).
I enjoyed the way the letters from Amelia to Gene helped Grace find new purpose and meaning in her life. I like how she found strength through Amelia to deal with an unplanned pregnancy and everything that comes with it and parenthood.
The novel discusses a lot of things that women experience while pregnant and/or trying to get pregnant therefore I will ad a TW for miscarriage, abortion and inferility.
I would categorize this novel as a historical fiction and found myself researching Amelia Earhart while reading to fact check and follow along. I learned a lot from this book and have a new found respect for the pilot that I have always known so little about.
I couldn't give this one 5 stars (or planes) for one reason - I felt it ended too abruptly. I was expecting more with Grace. To see her through to the end of her pregnancy and instead I just felt it ended and it was unfinished for me. Other than that it was a beautiful story and I loved it.
I really felt her sorrow. I recall what it feels like to go through a breakup and it is painful and hard. The way Grace descripes her love for Jamie, you can clearly see that she was expecting to spend forever with him - made me think about how I would feel if my husband one day said he no longer loved me (pretty fricken awful).
I enjoyed the way the letters from Amelia to Gene helped Grace find new purpose and meaning in her life. I like how she found strength through Amelia to deal with an unplanned pregnancy and everything that comes with it and parenthood.
The novel discusses a lot of things that women experience while pregnant and/or trying to get pregnant therefore I will ad a TW for miscarriage, abortion and inferility.
I would categorize this novel as a historical fiction and found myself researching Amelia Earhart while reading to fact check and follow along. I learned a lot from this book and have a new found respect for the pilot that I have always known so little about.
I couldn't give this one 5 stars (or planes) for one reason - I felt it ended too abruptly. I was expecting more with Grace. To see her through to the end of her pregnancy and instead I just felt it ended and it was unfinished for me. Other than that it was a beautiful story and I loved it.
March 6, 2022
I fell into this book faster than usual ✈️✨
The main character, Grace, was so endearing to me. She’s intelligent and curious, but she’s still figuring it out. Maybe it was the setting (Canada, university, library) or maybe it felt different to read about someone who is actually around my age (I often find that protagonists are much younger or older), but this was one of few novels that felt really evocative of my own life. I could imagine sitting in the university pub, overhearing Grace and her friends chatting in the next booth over.
The book starts with a break up - a multiplicity of feelings, that slowing sense of present time after you experience something emotional and unexpected, like each moment comes into hyperfocus and then goes fuzzy again. You feel like you are processing these tensions along with Grace. You follow her frustrations as they harden into lessons learned, her hurt as she transforms uncomfortable feelings into a future she chooses for herself.
In my reading, there’s nothing especially wild or outrageous about Grace’s story, no one huge pivotal moment or event when the ball is dropped. Her story is somewhat understated and, for me, this was the best part. Grace marvels at the courage and heart that took Amelia Earhart around the world, and I get it! I do. But, if I’m being totally honest, Grace is more my kind of heroine ☺️
Be aware that this book does discuss tender challenges around pregnancy.
my copy was #gifted from @zgstories @bookhug_press & the decision to review it was my own 💕
The main character, Grace, was so endearing to me. She’s intelligent and curious, but she’s still figuring it out. Maybe it was the setting (Canada, university, library) or maybe it felt different to read about someone who is actually around my age (I often find that protagonists are much younger or older), but this was one of few novels that felt really evocative of my own life. I could imagine sitting in the university pub, overhearing Grace and her friends chatting in the next booth over.
The book starts with a break up - a multiplicity of feelings, that slowing sense of present time after you experience something emotional and unexpected, like each moment comes into hyperfocus and then goes fuzzy again. You feel like you are processing these tensions along with Grace. You follow her frustrations as they harden into lessons learned, her hurt as she transforms uncomfortable feelings into a future she chooses for herself.
In my reading, there’s nothing especially wild or outrageous about Grace’s story, no one huge pivotal moment or event when the ball is dropped. Her story is somewhat understated and, for me, this was the best part. Grace marvels at the courage and heart that took Amelia Earhart around the world, and I get it! I do. But, if I’m being totally honest, Grace is more my kind of heroine ☺️
Be aware that this book does discuss tender challenges around pregnancy.
my copy was #gifted from @zgstories @bookhug_press & the decision to review it was my own 💕
Read
September 19, 2021Letters to Amelia by Lindsay Zier-Vogel is a book that explores love and friendship. Even if you don’t know who Amelia Earhart is there is nothing to fear as we gradually learn about Amelia Earhart along with the protagonist. You can often find yourself googling about Amelia and come back to the story only to find that Grace has been googling about her too. There is something in this book that makes you to continue reading keeping you completely immersed in the book.
Grace’s life was falling apart-her boyfriend of seven years leaves her and she never even saw it coming. It was while she was struggling to process it and keep her feelings in control that she was handed out a task- a secret task, to summarise newly discovered letters written by Amelia Earhart. Famous though she was, all Grace knew about Amelia Earhart was that she was a a pilot, a feminist icon and dead. Initially the letters to Grace were just an assignment at work, later it just became a means for her to avoid the reality of her problems, slowly and steadily she finds herself being genuinely interested in Amelia, not just Amelia- the pilot and the icon but Amelia, the person. What started out as just an assignment at work soon turns into something a lot more. The passion and independent spirit of Amelia soon rubs onto Grace and she tackles the issues in her life in her own way.
Grace’s life was falling apart-her boyfriend of seven years leaves her and she never even saw it coming. It was while she was struggling to process it and keep her feelings in control that she was handed out a task- a secret task, to summarise newly discovered letters written by Amelia Earhart. Famous though she was, all Grace knew about Amelia Earhart was that she was a a pilot, a feminist icon and dead. Initially the letters to Grace were just an assignment at work, later it just became a means for her to avoid the reality of her problems, slowly and steadily she finds herself being genuinely interested in Amelia, not just Amelia- the pilot and the icon but Amelia, the person. What started out as just an assignment at work soon turns into something a lot more. The passion and independent spirit of Amelia soon rubs onto Grace and she tackles the issues in her life in her own way.
May 26, 2023
My Aunt gave me this book and said she loved it.
The beginning was a little slow, since it was just Grace being sad, but I was enchanted by the letters between Gene and Amelia Earhart, so I kept going. I will say, I kept reading it all the way through quite quickly, so it wasn't so bad, hence the 4 stars.
I will admit, the parts I liked best were the Newfoundland and Washington trips, since I've gone to both of those places and did similar things. I also appreciated Grace's growth throughout the story.
I found the characters not very compelling. Everyone was always in a bad mood, or Grace was mad at them, which made it feel either like she was a grouchy person or just needed to make better friends.
I could not keep her friends straight either, as they all seemed like the same person.
The ending was also super anti-climactic. there was so much build up to no end. When I reached the acknowledgements, I said to myself "that's it?" Will she get back together with Jamie? what will she name her daughter? will she be a good parent? I thought it was cute that she gets to see Amelia Earhart's plane, but what might have been better was if it was in an epilogue where she brought her daughter with her and told her all about Amelia.
The beginning was a little slow, since it was just Grace being sad, but I was enchanted by the letters between Gene and Amelia Earhart, so I kept going. I will say, I kept reading it all the way through quite quickly, so it wasn't so bad, hence the 4 stars.
I will admit, the parts I liked best were the Newfoundland and Washington trips, since I've gone to both of those places and did similar things. I also appreciated Grace's growth throughout the story.
I found the characters not very compelling. Everyone was always in a bad mood, or Grace was mad at them, which made it feel either like she was a grouchy person or just needed to make better friends.
I could not keep her friends straight either, as they all seemed like the same person.
The ending was also super anti-climactic. there was so much build up to no end. When I reached the acknowledgements, I said to myself "that's it?" Will she get back together with Jamie? what will she name her daughter? will she be a good parent? I thought it was cute that she gets to see Amelia Earhart's plane, but what might have been better was if it was in an epilogue where she brought her daughter with her and told her all about Amelia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2021
A surprisingly moving story about a young Canadian librarian assigned to transcribe and summarize a package of newly discovered letters between Amelia Earhart and her lover Gene. The librarian barely knows who Amelia Earhart is and has little interest in the project when first assigned, particularly as she is in deep grief over her boyfriend of seven years having suddenly left her the week before. But the more she reads, the more interested she becomes until she eventually finds herself writing her own letters to Amelia in a kind of diary, traveling to spots where Amelia flew, and becoming emotionally invested in the way the letters are publicly received. Her sorrow over her broken relationship, her love for and annoyance with her mother, her interactions with friends dealing with their own relationship issues, her first solo trip, and her personal decisions all weave together into a multi-layered, believable story that sinks its hooks in and sounds very real. I greatly enjoyed this debut novel and look forward to seeing more from this author.
I was gifted this audiobook from Netgalley and Book*hug press in exchange for my honest review.
I was gifted this audiobook from Netgalley and Book*hug press in exchange for my honest review.
November 8, 2021
Letters to Amelia by Lindsay Zier-Vogel
Grace is a 30 something library tech in Toronto who is reeling after her boyfriend of seven years leaves her out of the blue. While struggling to get through the heartbreak, and a surprise pregnancy, she is tasked with reading and organizing a found box of letters from Amelia Earhart to her lover Gene in 1937. These letters provide her with inspiration, connect her to another story and she ends up writing her own letters to Amelia.
This is really a coming into your own life type of story. About finding your footing, about family and friendship and motherhood. I really loved this story. My only issue was that Grace came off as quite immature to me in a lot of moments, but it did fit with the storyline. I loved learning more about Amelia and watching Grace find her way.
Thank you to @bookhug_press for my copy of the book as well as the audio copy from @netgalley I read/listened to this book depending on my day and enjoyed both options!
Is this one on your radar? If not definitely add it to your list!
Grace is a 30 something library tech in Toronto who is reeling after her boyfriend of seven years leaves her out of the blue. While struggling to get through the heartbreak, and a surprise pregnancy, she is tasked with reading and organizing a found box of letters from Amelia Earhart to her lover Gene in 1937. These letters provide her with inspiration, connect her to another story and she ends up writing her own letters to Amelia.
This is really a coming into your own life type of story. About finding your footing, about family and friendship and motherhood. I really loved this story. My only issue was that Grace came off as quite immature to me in a lot of moments, but it did fit with the storyline. I loved learning more about Amelia and watching Grace find her way.
Thank you to @bookhug_press for my copy of the book as well as the audio copy from @netgalley I read/listened to this book depending on my day and enjoyed both options!
Is this one on your radar? If not definitely add it to your list!
November 11, 2021
Letters to Amelia - Lindsay Zier-Vogel
Narrated by Emily Nixon
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Book'hug Press and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Grace Porter is reeling from grief after her partner of seven years unexpectedly leaves. Amidst her heartache, the 30 year-old library tech is tasked with reading newly discovered letters that Amelia Earhart wrote to her lover, Gene Vidal. She becomes captivated by the famous pilot who disappeared in 1937. Letter by letter, she understands more about the aviation hero while piecing her own life back together.
This was a relatively short book - the audiobook was 8 hours but I really struggled to get into this book. I feel that this book would be better served if it was just about Grace, I felt like the letters - whilst a nice little side story, were a bit of a distraction. I was looking forward to reading this book when I selected it, but it just didn't grip me in the way that I expected.
Rating: 3/5
Narrated by Emily Nixon
I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Book'hug Press and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Grace Porter is reeling from grief after her partner of seven years unexpectedly leaves. Amidst her heartache, the 30 year-old library tech is tasked with reading newly discovered letters that Amelia Earhart wrote to her lover, Gene Vidal. She becomes captivated by the famous pilot who disappeared in 1937. Letter by letter, she understands more about the aviation hero while piecing her own life back together.
This was a relatively short book - the audiobook was 8 hours but I really struggled to get into this book. I feel that this book would be better served if it was just about Grace, I felt like the letters - whilst a nice little side story, were a bit of a distraction. I was looking forward to reading this book when I selected it, but it just didn't grip me in the way that I expected.
Rating: 3/5
October 23, 2021
This is an unusual epistolary novel covering the discovered (fictional) letters from Amelia Earhart to her lover, as well as the life of Grace, a librarian, who reads and documents them. I liked the way the letters from Amelia detailing her independence and life helped Grace to find the strength and courage to deal with a breakup and unplanned pregnancy. The letters themselves were warm and chatty and they depicted Amelia and her life vividly. However, the portrayal of Grace was pretty clinical and emotionless, so we can't really get too much of a feel for her character and the decisions she makes, which is a shame. Prior to reading the novel, I didn't know too much about Amelia Earhart, but felt that, like Grace, I got to know her as the story progressed. And whist I found the story interesting, I wouldn't say I was wholly invested. For me, it was just an OK read.
Many thanks to NetGallery and ECW Press Audio for allowing me a copy of the book.
Many thanks to NetGallery and ECW Press Audio for allowing me a copy of the book.
July 1, 2022
Letters to Amelia has a terrific premise: the main character, Grace, is a librarian who is tasked with reading and summarizing a treasure of newly discovered letters from Amelia Earhart to her lover. At the same time as she is going through this project, Grace is going through romantic difficulties in her own life. Thus, there are two narrative threads throughout the novel: Amelia's and Grace's and the author creates some interesting parallels between them.
I also particularly enjoyed the two main settings of the novel: Toronto and St. John's, Newfoundland. The chapters in Saskatchewan added an interesting contrast as well.
My only criticism is that the ending is far too abrupt and ultimately rather unsatisfying.
I also particularly enjoyed the two main settings of the novel: Toronto and St. John's, Newfoundland. The chapters in Saskatchewan added an interesting contrast as well.
My only criticism is that the ending is far too abrupt and ultimately rather unsatisfying.
April 4, 2023
Contrary to many of the reviews (sorry fellow readers), I did not fall in love with the characters in this novel, especially Grace. Did she really have to cry in every chapter for the first half of the novel? I understood her loss, but she seemed to be so bland as a person, there was nothing there to pull me in. The second half of the novel was much more interesting, especially as Grace becomes absorbed by Amelia's story. As her bond with Amelia grows, so does Grace (thankfully, she was not crying as much in the second half of the novel but she still did cry). The three stars are really for the ending which I though fitting and appropriate.
If it was not for my book club, I really would have abandoned this novel after the first 100 pages.
If it was not for my book club, I really would have abandoned this novel after the first 100 pages.
October 16, 2021
Ehh I loved the beginning and the middle. I listened in a day and while I did really enjoy the book, and the narrator, the ending was disappointing to me. I felt Grace’s life was as important as the letters. The letters had completion the big events in Grace’s life did not. It felt like such an incomplete ending. This book had such great promise. I loved the letters. Though the fact Grace didn’t know who Amelia Earhart was seemed preposterous to me. Especially at her age. If the ending was better this would be a 5 star for me.
October 21, 2021
Letters to Amelia. Gorgeous novel told through the eyes of Grace, a thirty-year-old library tech, navigating her yearnings for connection. A coming-of-age as she pilots an understanding of what she fears; a journey of what she wants, needs, and deserves from love. She finds connection through being tasked with writing synopses of Amelia Earhart’s secret love letters to a man who was not her husband. Eventually, Grace begins writing her own “correspondence” with Earhart. A well written, tender-hearted, and deeply moving debut. A love letter to Earhart. Brava to Lindsay Zier-Vogel.
January 8, 2022
I’m in love with this book! Getting this book I knew it was about Amelia Earhart. I love that there is Canadian history around her! That she visited my second home Newfoundland. This books is a page turner and Newfies should read it (hear that my dear family ❤️). The author I can relate to her writing.
In one part they talk about naming the child. They didn’t want a unisex name Charlie. My dad was named Charlie are kid will be named after him no matter the sex. You can’t put this book down! Can’t wait for her new one ☝️
In one part they talk about naming the child. They didn’t want a unisex name Charlie. My dad was named Charlie are kid will be named after him no matter the sex. You can’t put this book down! Can’t wait for her new one ☝️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2022
Letters to Amelia was a beautiful book. I loved being immersed in the history of Amelia Earhart and the imagined letters between her and Gene Vidal. Grace, the main character, discovers she's pregnant with the child of a boyfriend who just broke up with her. While she imagines her future as a single mother, she is tasked with cataloguing a box of found the found letters. As she reads, she begins to feel closer to Amelia Earhart and starts writing her, her own letters.
Part epistolary, part narrative, Letters to Amelia is a book about love.
Part epistolary, part narrative, Letters to Amelia is a book about love.
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