Samantha's only friends were characters in books, but her real life
takes an extraordinary turn when a mysterious "Mr. Knightley" offers her
a full journalism scholarship--on the condition that she write to him
regularly. Will their long-distance friendship unlock her heart?
Sam is, to say the least, bookish. An English major of the highest
order, her diet has always been Austen, Dickens, and Shakespeare. The
problem is that both her prose and conversation tend to be more
Elizabeth Bennet than Samantha Moore.
But life for the twenty-three-year-old orphan is about to get stranger
than fiction. An anonymous, Dickensian benefactor calling himself Mr.
Knightley offers to put Sam through Northwestern University's
prestigious Medill School of Journalism. There is only one catch: Sam
must write frequent letters to the mysterious donor, detailing her
progress.
Sam's letters to Mr. Knightley become increasingly confessional as she
begins to share everything from her painful childhood memories to her
growing feelings for eligible novelist Alex Powell. While Alex draws Sam
into a world of warmth and literature that feels like it's straight out
of a book, old secrets are drawn to light. And as Sam learns to love and
trust Alex and herself, she learns once again how quickly trust can be
broken.
Reminding us all that our own true character is not meant to be hidden,
Katherine Reay's debut novel follows a young woman's journey as she
sheds her protective persona and embraces the person she was meant to
become.
Praise for Dear Mr. Knightley:
"Katherine Reay's Dear Mr. Knightley kept me up until 2:00 a.m.; I
simply couldn't put it down."--Eloisa James, New York Times
bestselling author of Once Upon a Tower
"Sprinkled with classic literary references and filled with poignant
characterizations, Katherine Reay's modern retelling of Jean Webster's
Daddy-Long-Legs is both reverently crafted and delightfully
surprising."--Lauren Ann Nattress, Austenprose.com
"Katherine Reay's touching debut novel made me cry in all the right
places. For joy."--Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Rude Awakenings
of a Jane Austen Addict
- Sweet, stand-alone contemporary romance
- Includes discussion questions for book clubs, a Q&A with the author,
and Sam's reading list