Yes, 580 two page front and back letters is a lot. And that was the goal. What was also a lot were the often emotional responses Amy received back from folks.

As you might imagine, there are snippets of letters from the 580 with the stories behind them when there is something especially notable about it, such as a person important to Amy, a difficult letter to write, or a response that provoked thought. I'd guess there are maybe 50ish letters included this way, which might not seem much, but it is a lot!

It definitely felt like a lot. At times they started to feel repetitive and a bit tedious to read about because of how similar they were. That actually mirrors Amy's experiences as she gets worn out by so much heartfelt writing. Several themes were really hammered home, and particularly that of how a small way of reaching out was incredibly touching for so many of the people Amy wrote to. It made me think of that adage "No one will wave, but everyone will wave back."

The main way it's broken up is by interspersing the letters with the central story around Dana, a woman who Amy was friend with at a summer camp long ago, and her grief around her son's relapsing illness. This was touching and sad and hopeful and painful in a lot of ways, but if you feel like a dose of human goodness, this is a great way to do it.

There's also a focus on spirituality and Amy's strength drawn from God. I'm not very spiritual, but I enjoyed hearing how she connected in those ways, and it was very accessible and warm.

And yes... I thought many times during it about doing this myself. 🤣 But... maybe just a postcard instead of a letter. ✌️

Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press for a free advanced copy. This is my honest review!  ( )

Dear Dana by Amy W. Daughters is the story of how the author decided to hand write all her friends on Facebook. After the death of the son of a friend she went to camp with, back in the day, not knowing how to reach out to her friend, she decides to write to all 580 friends that she has on Facebook.

Everyone and their friends are on Facebook. A place to stay connected to people you know and some you don't. It can be a place that is very impersonal though. Do you really know all of your "friends"?

I have been on Facebook myself since 2010. I love it because I can keep in touch with family, mostly my children who are scattered across the country and other countries. I also have a lot of "friends" but mostly since I am a blogger and book reviewer. Do I really know these people, not really but it is still nice connecting.

Amy took the friendships a bit further, starting with the project of putting all of her Facebook friends' names in a box and choosing one each day. Turns out she had 580 handwritten letters to write, not postcards but actual letters. A painstaking and daunting task at the beginning. As time went by, she became to enjoy writing the letters and getting answers back, some people did not write back which was ok for her.

Because of this project, she ended up having lifelong friends, people she had not seen or heard from in years. So what started as a way to connect and offer prayers to a friend whose son had passed away from cancer, ended up being a lifelong friendship.

I found this story very interesting, not sure if it is something that I would entertain but a very unique and valuable experience for the author and her friends and family.

I give the book 5 stars!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only. ( )

Amy Weinland Daughters reconnected on Facebook with one of her camp friends that made an impact on her over 30 years ago. Amy learned that her friend Dana's son was going through cancer treatment and wanted to connect with her on a more personal level than Facebook comments or likes. Amy sat down to write her a letter but realized she didn't have her address. Amy started to wonder what being a Facebook friend meant. When Dana's son Parker died, Amy continued to write Dana letters to support her in a more meaningful way. These letters made Amy wonder what would happen if she wrote all 580 of her Facebook friends a handwritten letter, no matter how awkward or tenuous the relationship.

Dear Dana is a humorous and heartwarming memoir about a task combining contemporary relationships on Facebook with the lost art of letter writing to dig deep into the meaning of friendship. I loved Amy's forthright and honest style of writing about her letter writing adventure as well as her sense of humor. I could relate to Amy wanting to reach out to an old friend in a time of need and have often seen people on Facebook going through a hard time, I applaud her bravery and #CONSTANT help. Religion is a big part of Amy's life and while this aspect didn't resonate with me, I did appreciate her new forged relationship with Dana. I also loved how many of her letters found people in their time of need. Through her letter writing Amy discovered what it means to be a friend and connect with people on a personal level. I enjoyed seeing how many people felt more comfortable sharing personal things in written form and revealing that everything may not be as it seems online. Amy's journey was insightful on many levels and while I don't think I'll be writing letters to all of my Facebook friends anytime soon, I am more encouraged to reach out to those in need in letter form.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. ( )