BOOK REVIEW: Dear Dana

When Executive Editor Jeff Herring asked if I’d be interested in doing a book review and gave me a list of the books that had been sent to him by a Christian publisher, I immediately knew which one I wanted to review — Dear Dana: That Time I Went Crazy and Wrote all 580 of my Facebook Friends a Handwritten Letter. Of course, the title was what caught my attention first, but there were many other reasons for my choice, including the fact that it was available on Audible (which is how I love to “read” these days) and because it was about relationships (I just love people and getting to know them better!) As I listened to the book, written by Amy Weinland Daughters, I found many more reasons to love it.

The story is about a woman, an old friend and their reconnection on Facebook 30 years after meeting each other at church camp. Amy had no way of knowing that when she contacted her long lost friend, Dana was facing the biggest challenge and heartbreak of her life. Her only son, a teenager, was at St. Jude’s Hospital, fighting for his life… a battle he eventually lost.

When Parker died, Amy, not knowing what else to do, continued to write Dana. Eventually, Dana wrote back, and the two became pen pals, sharing things through the mail that they had never shared before. They also reconnected “in person” and became even better friends.

The richness of the experience left Amy wondering something — if my life could be so changed by someone I considered “just a Facebook friend,” what would happen if I wrote all my Facebook friends a letter?

Over the following 20 months, Amy did just that — she sent out 580 handwritten personalized letters, an average of one per day! The book is about how those letters touched the hearts of various recipients and changed Amy’s heart forever.

When I finished the book, I was convicted — not to write all my Facebook friends (mostly because I have 1,503 of them!), but to be more intentional about reaching out to those friends as the need arises and truly praying for them. God puts each person into our lives for a purpose, and each purpose is different. I’ve been convicted, through Amy’s book, to be a better friend — on and off Facebook.

One word of caution, I heard about five “ugly words,” and Amy and I are different in that her background is in “adult beverages,” which she enjoys (and I don’t). But we have one big thing in common — we love the Lord, and we love people!

The bottom line is that I really enjoyed the book, and I think you will, too!

In addition to being available on Audible, you can also get the 304-page book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target and other locations.