On September 11, 2001, far from either New York or Washington, Tess DeNunzio loses her three year-old sister to a hit-and-run driver. With the eyes of the world elsewhere, Tess's small tragedy is lost in the context of a national one, trapped in what she comes to perceive as an impenetrable silence. Dear Zoe is her attempt to break that silence. Part love letter, part coming of age story, part confession, Tess's story lets us eavesdrop on the intimate conversations that force her to articulate her loss, confront her guilt and, ultimately, confirm the healing power of love. In the most authentic female voice created by any male author since Wally Lamb, Tess DeNunzio will break your heart, then put it back together again.

Dear Zoe © 2005 Philip Beard. Recorded by arrangement with Viking Penguin, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.