The Last Letters of Sally and Walter

THE LAST LETTERS OF SALLY AND WALTER by Cammie McGovern is a charming but very sad novel about two older people who find a connection through Scrabble (offering much wordplay and many new vocabulary words along the way). Walter and Sally live in an independent living facility named Golden Grove where everyone “is superficially friendly and no one is really friends.” They, however, gradually form a deep friendship where each can be vulnerable enough to share their personal stories and concerns. McGovern’s previous works for middle grade students and young adults all featured characters with disabilities. In her latest, Sally has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and learns to cope with its limitations while Walter also has a health setback. Despite these circumstances, there is hope woven throughout this book, as when Walter notes,  “These are the facts of our lives now. We both have our younger selves sitting inside of us, horrified by these developments, but I'm hoping we also have the wisdom of age. We are not defined by the limitations our bodies have imposed on us.” Both Walter and Sally experience emotional distance from and somewhat difficult relationships with their adult children who, in turn, are dealing with their own stressors related to work and family life. THE LAST LETTERS OF SALLY AND WALTER provides a unique window into a crucial time of life as when Sally gently points out, “the hardest part of aging … wasn’t the battle to retain your abilities, it was the absence of a chance to develop new ones.” This poignant novel will have readers reflecting about their own relatives and life choices. Scheduled to be Published April 7, 2026.