High school freshman Lily pours her heart out in letters to her hero, dead movie star John Wayne, in which she tells him about the death of her beloved stepfather, her mother's abusive boyfriends, her fears that her father is gay, getting the lead in the high school play, and her burgeoning romance with a classmate who reminds her of Mr. Wayne.

Julien Azouly is a French writer of romantic comedies. When his beloved wife Helen dies at the early age of 33, leaving him alone with their son Arthur, he is so devastated that he decides to put an end to his own life. But Helen was clever. She made her husband promise that he would write her 33 letters, one for each year of her life. Six months after the funeral, Julian reluctantly writes his first letter to Helen, and he finds the writing of these...

"In his letters to his favorite author, ten-year-old Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents' divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world"--Title verso page.