First published 2004
Every birthday, she sits down to write herself a letter. She teaches high school art and watches her life unfold through these annual state-of-the-union addresses. Her parents needle her constantly. Her boyfriends think only of themselves. The world erupts around her with riots and scandals involving O.J. Simpson and Monica Lewinsky. Each year brings fresh chaos that seems designed to derail any shot at contentment. She chronicles her struggles with romantic disasters and family dysfunction, documenting how external events mirror her internal turmoil. Through seven consecutive birthdays, she maps her winding path toward something resembling happiness. The letters reveal a woman determined to find joy despite a universe that appears committed to preventing exactly that outcome.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
271 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Pocket