"More than a stunning debut. It is the announcement of a bold new literary voice"
—Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I want to start off this letter by saying how much I miss you and how much I wish you were here with me and our family right now. We miss your laugh at the dinner table and your funny stories of when you were a boy.

I miss your stories about the man who used to live in your linen closet and who would rough you up when you tried to get the rent from him, I want to let you know that even though I knew there wasn’t a man in the linen closet I still loved every minute of you telling me the story and you coming out of the linen closet with your glasses all askew, ten-year-old me loved that.

I also want to say how sorry I am that I didn’t come and say goodbye to you in the hospital when you were leaving us. I hope you know that I love you. I couldn’t bring myself to come to the hospital and say goodbye because I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing you in there not smiling and not yourself.

I am sorry I let you down.

I’ll miss you forever and wish you could respond to me.