Dear Dotty: A Novel

by Jaclyn Westlake

Overview

Rosie Benson does not have it all together. Like most twenty-somethings, she struggles to figure out life and soon finds herself following the advice of her late great-aunt through a series of revelatory emails about pursuing long-buried dreams rather than society’s idea of perfect in this fun, highly relatable debut. Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, and Sophie Kinsella.

“Compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and laugh-out-loud humor…A remarkable debut!” —Stacey Swann, author of GMA Book Club Pick Olympus, Texas

What’s a twenty-something gal to do when her parents announce a divorce after thirty years of marriage, she finds out her best friend has cozied up to her archnemesis, and she accidentally sleeps with the Wrong Guy? Turn to her great-aunt for advice, of course.

Rosie Benson has always struggled to fit in with her over-accomplished family, type-A roommate/best friend, and workaholic boss. But she’s nearly losing herself as she strives to become everyone else’s idea of perfect. When Rosie is abruptly fired from her job at a tech start-up where her boss was way too enthusiastic about synergy and company swag, the illusion that she has life figured out is shattered. Knowing she needs a push, her great-aunt Dotty—a globe-trotting, martini-swilling occasional nudist, and the only person Rosie has ever truly felt herself around—challenges her to pursue a long-buried dream, others’ expectations be damned.

But then Dotty dies.

And Rosie spirals.

As new details of Dotty’s past emerge through revelatory emails from her many friends, Rosie realizes that maybe her aunt’s life wasn’t as charmed as she thought. With her career, friendships, and family unraveling, Rosie must drown out the noise of the world telling her what she should pursue—boyfriend, babies, boss-babe role at a corporate job—and finally focus on what she actually wants.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063340718
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/04/2024
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	115,183
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jaclyn Westlake is the author of the novel Dear Dotty and an alumna of the Stanford Continuing Studies novel writing program. A recruiter turned career advice columnist, her work has appeared in Forbes, Business Insider, and Inc. She lives in California with her husband and their dachshund mix, Indiana Jones (but you can call him Indy). 

Editorial Reviews

Dear Dotty is a joy to devour! Westlake gives us compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and laugh-out-loud humor. But it’s also a novel with a huge heart, thoughtfully exploring the difficulty in finding our authentic way in the world and the power of our chosen communities. A remarkable debut!” — Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas

“Rosie Benson is one of the most relatable heroines I’ve read in a long time — I loved spending time with her on the page and in my head. Dear Dotty is charming, heartfelt and utterly absorbing.”  — Suzanne Park, author of One Last Word

"Dear Dotty is a delightfully layered story of grief, love, and self-discovery. A charming debut that is sure to keep readers turning the pages as they fall in love with these wonderfully quirky characters!" — Zara Raheem, author of The Marriage Clock and The Retreat

"I loved this funny, thoughtful, tender story about growing up and growing into yourself. Rosie Benson is all of us in our shaky, uncertain early twenties, and Dotty is the ruthlessly honest, unconditionally loving mentor we wish we'd had." — Sarah Chamberlain, author of The Slowest Burn

"Equal parts heart and humor, Dear Dotty is a tribute to family, friendship, and becoming the person you were always meant to be. It reminded me of Taylor Swift's song "marjorie" in the best way: learning to say goodbye to someone who will never truly leave you. What an emotional joyride!" — Swati Hegde, author of Match Me If You Can

From the Publisher