Seven Letters: A Novel

J. P. Monninger

Oct 2019 · Sold by St. Martin's Griffin

About this ebook

J. P. Monninger, author of the international bestseller The Map That Leads to You, the novel Nicholas Sparks called “romantic and unforgettable", tells a poignant love story of the ways the world divides two souls—and the way that love brings them together.

Kate Moreton is in Ireland on sabbatical from her teaching position at Dartmouth College when she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and a veteran of the American war in Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history dates back centuries on the remote Blasket Islands, and Ozzie – a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States – has retreated to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he cannot seem to leave behind.

Beside the sea, with Ireland’s beauty as a backdrop, the two fall deeply in love and attempt to live on an island of their own making, away from the pressures of the outside world. Ireland writes its own love stories, the legends claim, and the limits of Kate and Ozzie’s love and faith in each other will be tested. When his demons lead Ozzie to become reckless with his life—and Kate’s—she flees for America rather than watch the man she loves self-destruct. But soon a letter arrives informing Kate that her heroic husband has been lost at sea, and Kate must decide whether it is an act of love to follow him or an act of mercy to forget.

Ratings and reviews

3.5 stars Seven Letters is beautifully written, and Monninger certainly knows how to paint a scene. It actually felt like more time was spent on the setting than on the love story, or maybe it was that those were some of my favorite parts. The romance was good, not great, but good, but that could be due to a lack of connection with Kate. I just never quite warmed up to her. I've seen that this one is headed for the silver screen, so I'm anxious to see how it all translates to film. I'm hoping to find Kate a little easier to like, and I can't wait for the terrific scenery described. In the end, Seven Letters fell just short of a really good story and landed somewhere in the mid-range for me.

Seven Letters by J. P. Monninger, a new to me author that I haven’t read any books by before. It wasn’t a top read for me but a still okay book. Enjoyed the setting and character development. I look forward to checking out future books by author.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Seven Letters by J.P. Monninger and found it an emotional and amazing book. Kate Moreton take a sabbatical from her teaching so to research in Ireland the women of Blasket Island. In Dingle she meets Ozzie Ferriter, a fisherman and veteran of the American war on Afghanistan. The Ferriter family history is tied to the remote Blasket Islands and Ozzie, a citizen of both the US and Ireland, returned to the one place that might offer him peace from a war he is unable to forget and leave behind. Kate and Ozzie fit together like yin and yang, or two puzzle pieces. They each have so much love for the other, which brings them together; leaving their life in a world of their creation. When Ozzie’s demons drive him to become reckless with his life, and Kate’s, she makes the hardest decision ever; leave Ozzie and return to America instead of watching him self-destruct. When Kate receives word that Ozzie has been lost at sea she reacts as a woman still in love with her husband; searching for clues, evidence, answers to the truth of who Ozzie was. Warning: keep tissues nearby while reading this book. Mr. Monninger wrote an amazing tale, using words to visualize the beauty of the location and history of the land. Kate and Ozzie were life-like character, sharing a love so strong, that their souls are joined. I highly recommend Seven Letters to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

About the author

J.P. MONNINGER, author of The Map That Leads to You, is an award-winning writer in New England and Professor of English at Plymouth State University.