A Letter from Nana Rose- Book Review

A Letter from Nana Rose by Kristin Harper

Publication Date: 25th Oct 2021

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming but could have been better. 

Jill and her two sisters, Rachel and Brooke, are trying to overcome the grief of losing their beloved Nana Rose earlier that year. The old lady had asked them to spend two weeks at their cottage on Dune Island as the sisters didn’t every year. She has arranged to send them letters about her past; about things she never spoke to anyone. 

The sisters bond as always. Yet, Jill can’t help but worry about the underlying strain between them. It’s the letters that give them hope to make decisions and live lives the way they wanted. 

Being single at thirty-nine is not something Jill calls an achievement when her sisters have happy marriages. Still, she knows that she’d never settle for less. Her Nana Rose wouldn’t let her do that. 

Meeting Alex, the handsome tree surgeon on Dune Island, sparks interest in Jill. But her priority is the letters and Nana’s past. What happened back then that the old lady could never share it until after her death? How does the past affect their future, and what does it mean to Jill? 

The book is in the limited third person, with Jill’s POV been provided to the readers. The story starts with Jill and her sisters visiting the cottage for a two-week stay. However, things are strained between them. The elder sisters want to be practical about the cottage while Jill puts emotions first. 

The past was revealed in the form of letters, and I must admit that I enjoyed the past more than the present. In fact, I wished the past was shown to the reader instead of being told in the form of a letter. The main reason for this was the lack of enough backstory to fully understand and appreciate the dynamics between the sisters. 

With bits and pieces being shared, the rest is on the reader to assume and move along with the characters. The arc just wasn’t complete for any characters. They’ve been sketched and left to fend for themselves. It worked at times and didn’t at times. 

The ending was realistic and still hopeful and happy. The book is small (250+ pages) and was fast-read. Though I love small books, this one probably needed a few more pages to delve deeper into the storyline and highlight each character. 

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a light read with a comforting storyline, A Letter from Nana Rose would be a good choice. Nana Rose is a great character and makes her presence/ absence felt in the book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

#ALetterfromNanaRose #NetGalley