For lovers of Sophie Kinsella, Lindsey Kelk, and Beth O'Leary, prepare to welcome Jaclyn Westlake to your list of favorites. Her novel, "Dear Dotty," written in the spirit of “coming-of-age” or “chick-lit,” offers a refreshing take on life's possibilities—whether we play by the rules or craft our own.
They say when one door shuts, a window opens. For Rosie, it seemed all doors were locked, and each window firmly nailed shut. In the span of a week, she lost her job, her best friend, and the one person on the planet who understood her. To add to that, her parents were getting a divorce after 30 years of marriage, and Rosie was ready to throw in the towel. The only sliver of good fortune was a chance encounter that seemed to finally bring good fortune where there was none. The problem is, with each new opportunity presented, Rosie feels like she is moving further and further away from who she thought she would be, in her career and in life in general. When the dreams of her old self become a possible reality, Rosie must decide if the new her is the real her or if she is ready to make the ultimate gamble, going all in on herself, like Dotty always did.
This book cleverly plays with a "sliding doors" concept. Not at the beginning, as Raj made it clear Rosie was getting fired one way or another, but when Rosie was presented with the opportunity at the start of the story. In that moment, Dotty gave Rosie one set of directions and Rosie did the complete opposite. I loved that Jaclyn allows us to see both sides of the coin, to view how life is when you live by the stipulations of others versus your own.
It is also through this narrative that we explore Rosie's preconceived notion that Dotty couldn't possibly be happy with the life she lived because she didn't follow the societal norms placed upon her. She wasn't married, didn't have kids, lived a modest lifestyle, had an unconventional job that didn't guarantee a steady income, and she always went against the grain—there was just no way it was possible that she was fulfilled. The seeds of self-discovery, independence, and acceptance are planted and nurtured continuously—for the female protagonist and possibly for the reader, who may need the gentle reminder that it's okay to "go against the grain" and live for yourself, not for others.
The friendship between Marcia and Rosie was my favorite part of this book. The ups and downs, twists and turns of these two showed the depth of love and growth. We see Marcia transform through Rosie’s eyes and how that impacted her own development. When Marcia laid down harsh truths, even I had to take a moment for self-reflection, and the rawness of her statement when it came down to the excuse “I am doing everything I can.” Applicable in different areas of our lives, are we really doing everything we can? Have we truly exhausted all options, or have we just danced up to that fine line of our comfort zones, not daring to cross it for the sake of comfort and familiarity?
Like most women's literature and coming-of-age fiction, the focus isn’t on the romance of the female protagonist; it is on the journey and transformation.
Revisiting an earlier thought, Jaclyn did an excellent job tackling the concept of heteronormative and societal ideals. If Rosie was not in a relationship that was heading towards matrimony and babies, she wasn’t considered a grown-up. If she didn’t have a career with a specific ladder to climb to demonstrate her capabilities, she wasn’t taking life seriously. She was torn between two identities: the one encouraged by Dotty to be true to yourself and live a life without regret, and one created by her mother—to be a responsible, independent adult—which meant doing what was expected by society as well as those around you. Jaclyn doesn't make it cut and dry—good vs. evil. She shows the pros and cons of both lives, but the underlying truth in each scenario is the simplest (yet somehow most difficult) question to answer—was she happy? Not happy because of something, but happy in spite of everything.
Some who read "Dear Dotty" may simply be entertained by the cute banter, witty humor, and vibrant characters. Others may find much-needed truth within the words of these pages and walk away motivated, energized, and renewed. In either case, Jaclyn has definitely left a mark with her debut novel, and I, for one, am grateful.