These aren’t just stories. They’re love letters.

Dear Orchid opens the heart in unexpected ways: through true stories and new fiction that explore loss and love, silence and recovery, and hard-won resilience.

This collection is an Asian American author’s homage to Mary-Louise Parker’s Dear Mr. You, through letters to a girl newly freed from East Berlin, an aunt lost to Communist-era borders, and Purple Heart-decorated heroes. These intimate portraits explore the messy beauty of friendship, family, disability, and belonging.

You’ll meet a wounded hero who jokes through his pain, a beloved cat with a crayon note taped to his back (“HELP ME”), and people who refuse to be defined by what they’ve lost.

The final chapter brings a fictional reunion with the unforgettable characters from the Goodbye Orchid trilogy, offering healing, closure, and second chances.

These aren’t just stories.

They’re letters to everyday heroes.

For you. For us. For the moments that make us human.

“Fans…will recognize and appreciate the warmth and insight in this lovely literary offering. A gracefully executed exploration of an engaging scribe’s thoughts and journeys.”

—Kirkus Reviews VERDICT “GET IT”

“Powerful, haunting, and precise. Each of the essays and stories in Van Den Hende’s collection—whether a three-page reverie of childhood’s joys and tragedies or a candid peek into the life of a wounded hero—land with a piercing clarity.””

—FIONA DAVIS, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

“Carol Van Den Hende’s Dear Orchid: Letters and New Beginnings—True Stories and Fiction filled with Heart, Humor, and Hope is a delightful anthology brimming with variety, warmth, and imagination. Each story brings its own personality, offering readers a wide range of deeply personal thoughts and experiences, all of which feel, in some way, relatable. My favorite piece, Dear Handsome Hansen, stood out for its honesty and surprising direction, yet it is only one of many gems here. The book balances true accounts with inventive storytelling, creating a mix that feels both entertaining and uplifting. Van Den Hende shows a talent for sharing stories that complement one another, resulting in a collection that is both memorable and rewarding for anyone who picks up this book.”

                                    —Readers Favorites 5-star Review

“As a long-time fan of Carol Van Den Hende’s Goodbye, Orchid series, I devoured Dear Orchid with an eager heart, and it exceeded every expectation. This isn’t just a collection of essays and stories; it’s a deeply personal and incredibly insightful journey into the wellspring of Van Den Hende’s creativity and the real-life inspirations that breathe such authenticity into her fictional worlds. It’s a rare gift to peek behind the curtain of an author’s creative process, and Carol invites us in with such grace and honesty. Prepare to be inspired, moved, and to find echoes of your own life within these pages. A truly remarkable read!”

  —REBECCA ROSENBERG, Champagne Widows series

“A soulful collection of essays and reflections blending truth and imagination, Dear Orchid is a heartfelt exploration of how youthful wonder naturally matures into genuine wisdom. Through a captivating tapestry of essays, Carol takes readers on an inspiring journey of awakening, growth, and self-discovery, capturing life’s rawest emotions with authenticity. Whether you’ve been on these paths or simply recognize the feelings they evoke, this book speaks to the universal human experience.”

  —HOPE GIBBS, author Where the Grass Grows Blue

“With unflinching honesty, unexpected humor, and a voice both tender and fierce, Carol Van Den Hende reveals the complicated, beautiful ways we adapt, endure, and sometimes even thrive. Dear Orchid will linger in your mind long after the last page, like a bruise you keep pressing—not to hurt, but to remember you’re still here.”

 —CHRISTINA CONSOLINO, award-winning author The Marriage Debt

“Carol Van Den Hende’s latest collection of short fiction and essays is a delightful medley of memories and stories connected to the creative surprises and inspirations for her celebrated Orchid series. Most are told in the first-person perspective, people who have moved in and out of the author’s life, both real and imagined, and jumps from one character to another—from a fiancée, to a mother, to a daughter-in-law, to a young girl, and even to a cat. For fans of Van Den Hende’s novels, Dear Orchid cannot be missed.” 

 —SARAHLYN BRUCK, author Light of the Fire

“Fans of Carol Van Den Hende’s Goodbye, Orchid trilogy—and new readers just now discovering her storytelling gifts—will love this mixed-genre collection of twenty-seven essays and stories that build on her themes of loss, love, and perseverance in a variety of settings. In Dear Orchid, she honors her childhood and Chinese history, boyfriends, family, and real-life heroes who inspired her books. Van Den Hende reminds us that tragedy, which often leads to ‘disability,’ can also open hearts and souls to lives fully lived in unexpected circumstances.”

 —SUSAN CUSHMAN, author of nine books, including the mixed-genre collection, Pilgrim Interrupted, and the novels John and Mary Margaret and Cherry Bomb. Cushman is the adoptive mother of two South Korean children and grandmother to four mixed race granddaughters. Her sons are retired Army and Air Force veterans

“It’s an honor to know Carol Van Den Hende. We have shared incredible life experiences. She has a rare gift for turning that richness into authentic stories.”

 —SGT. BRYAN ANDERSON, author of No Turning Back: One Man’s Inspiring True Story of Courage, Determination, and Hope