Dear Ann by Bobbie Ann Mason

DEAR ANN by Bobbie Ann Mason is the latest novel from a well-known and respected writer whom George Saunders describes as “a strange and beautiful author.”  Our students sometimes read her novel In Country as part of a Junior Research project. This newest offering jumps around in time between the mid-1960s and 2017. The main character, Ann Workman, grew up in rural Kentucky and faced a choice for graduate school between Stanford University and a small East Coast college. Nearing the end of her life, she reflects on choices made, relationships formed, and once again, the impact of the Vietnam War. I did enjoy the reflective spirit of DEAR ANN, but found the third person narration to be a bit stilted. The letters (to and from Ann) helped to build empathy for the characters and added to the story. Honestly, though, I would tend to recommend titles like Youngson’s Meet Me at the Museum or Haig’s The Midnight Library first, but I am sure that Mason’s many fans will enjoy this novel, too.