By: Susan Walter
ISBN: 9781662523496
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: 05/27/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
MAY #AuthorElevatorSeries QA (5/28)
From the creator of the 2017 film All I Wish comes the heartbreaking story of two strangers searching for the truth about their families—and discovering a secret that will change their lives forever.
Jane’s father is far from perfect. But his sudden death brings crushing grief. As Jane grapples with her pain, life delivers another blow: a stack of letters pointing to a secret life. A life her father shared with another woman…who may have had his child.
Across the country, sixteen-year-old Adam is self-destructing. His adoptive parents never intended to show him the unsigned letters from his birth mother, but he is desperate for answers, even if they hurt.
Jane and Adam are on a collision course, but not for the reasons we might suspect. Because the letters do not tell the whole story. What is true is that Adam and Jane are both looking for a woman who does not want to be found.
A family saga spanning two decades, this emotional story explores how good things can grow from the ashes of old scars.
About the Author
Photo credit: Maria Berelc
Susan Walter is the author of four novels of suspense: Lie by the Pool, Good as Dead, Over Her Dead Body, and Running Cold. She was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After being given every opportunity―and failing―to become a concert violinist, Walter attended Harvard University. She had hoped to be a newscaster, but the local TV station hired her to write and produce promos instead. Seeking sunshine and a change of scenery, she moved to Los Angeles to work in film and television production. Upon realizing writers were having all the fun, Walter transitioned to screenwriting, then directing. She wrote and made her directorial debut with the 2017 film All I Wish, starring Sharon Stone.
For more information about the author, visit www.susanwalterwriter.com.
Connect with Susan
Praise
“Susan Walter spins an intricate tapestry of messy family secrets and long-denied truths, then weaves in a pair of hard-fought journeys toward self-discovery to produce her best book yet. Letters from Strangers is a crisp, compelling, and at times, emotionally raw story about shedding expectations in order to claim the life you were meant to live. Brava!”
—Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Echo of Old Books
“Deftly executed…This tale of family, self-worth, acceptance, and forgiveness brought me to tears in a very good way…A gorgeous story!”
—Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of Everything We Keep and Find Me in California
“A propulsive and poignant story about family, secret lives, and sacrifice. Walter knows the complexities of the human heart, and her emotionally rich characters ring true. Thoughtful, empathetic, and replete with deep meaning.”
—Paulette Kennedy, author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport
“Inspired by a true story, Susan Walter’s Letter from Strangers beautifully explores not only the catastrophic damage done by secrets, deceptions and betrayals, but also the healing power of acceptance, authenticity and love. Walter creates an absolutely riveting tale in which she shows herself to be a writer of extraordinary compassion and insight into the human heart.”
—Joy Jordan-Lake, bestselling author of Echoes of Us, A Tangled Mercy and other books
“Letters from Strangers pulls you in from the start, unraveling family secrets with relentless pacing and twists. Susan Walter delivers a gripping tale where every revelation feels like a ticking time bomb—this is one you won’t be able to put down.”
—Audrey J. Cole, USA Today bestselling author of Missing in Flight
“A refreshingly honest look at the choices we make, and the impact they have on the people we love. Walter delivers meaningful insights with nuanced prose, and keeps the reader turning the pages to find out how the two stories intersect.”
—Mansi Shah, bestselling author of The Direction of the Wind
“Letters from Strangers is a captivating exploration of the ties that bind us, the secrets that divide us, and the courage it takes to embrace our true selves.”
—Christine Nolfi, bestselling author of The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves
“From Susan Walter, bestselling author, comes the acclaimed Letters from Strangers, a heart-rendering, twisting family drama that had me at the edge of my seat. The knockout combination of compelling sympathetic characters, decades of secrets, and lies had me turning pages through the night, nervously waiting for the unsuspected truth to appear. Get comfortable—you won’t move for hours.”
—Marilyn Simon Rothstein, author of Who Loves You Best
“With brilliant prose and secrets that upend everything you thought you knew, Walter shows us she’s at the top of her game with this well-crafted novel full of tender moments—and gut-wrenching situations. Letters from Strangers will invoke every emotion inside and leave you begging for more. Poignant, smart, and utterly unputdownable, this one-sit read is sure to be a standout hit of 2025.”
—Jaime Lynn Hendricks, bestselling author of A Lovely Lie
“I loved reading Letters from Strangers, even when it was twisting my heart. Thoughtful and ultimately hopeful, this family saga is as good as it gets.”
—Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten and American Girl
“Wow! What a story! Mesmerizing and gut wrenching, Walter is a captivating storyteller, weaving narratives that draw you in and leave you wanting more.”
—Patricia Sands, author of The Secrets We Hide and The Bridge Club
“Strap in for this emotional and suspense-filled roller-coaster ride…With relatable characters and well-executed arcs, this novel is a truly moving and heartfelt exploration of self-discovery and acceptance.”
—Marcy McCreary, award-winning author of The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon
“A delicate, emotional deep dive about good people trying, against the odds, to solve the complex puzzle of their lives. But in its tender examination of such major life issues as adoption, sexual orientation, self-image, love, and loss, it reminds us that sometimes the understanding and redemption we seek are there for the taking—if you’re willing to face the truth.”
—Gary Goldstein, award-winning author of Please Come to Boston
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
Welcome to the fourth May 2025 #AuthorElevatorSeries! Notable guest author, screenwriter, and director, Susan Walter (personal and fan favorite) joins us for the first time with her latest most poignant, compelling, and emotional family drama novel yet— LETTERS FROM STRANGERS.
From the creator of the 2017 film All I Wish comes the heartbreaking story of two strangers searching for the truth about their families—and discovering a secret that will change their lives forever. Spanning two decades, this emotional story explores how good things can grow from the ashes of old scars.
Join us as Susan shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes exclusives from the book and up-close and personal fun moments from this talented author.
Welcome, Susan!
Behind the Book
Q. Give us your best ELEVATOR PITCH for your new novel, LETTERS FROM STRANGERS?
Jane’s memories of her father are shattered when she finds letters from a mistress who may have had his child. But her father was not the only one hiding something, and her search for the truth forces her to confront deeply held secrets from her own past.
Q. INSPIRATION: The spark that ignited the novel. Where were you when the idea came to you?
Like fictional Jane, I also learned some shocking truths about my father after he passed away. When I discovered a drawer full of letters from his longtime mistress, I didn’t plan to write a book about it! But as I worked through my feelings about growing up in the shadow of this shocking secret, I came to appreciate the lengths mothers go to in order to protect their children – and yes, that sometimes includes telling them lies. And I thought my journey of processing the truth about my family could be meaningful to others.
Q. SETTING: Tell us more about the book setting and why you selected it and TIME PERIODS.
I grew up in the seventies and eighties. This novel incorporates details from my own childhood, so I decided to set it in the time period when I was growing up. Also this story switches between a woman looking for a child born in secret and an adopted teen looking for his birth parents, and I wanted to replicate what it was like navigating these situations without ancestry.com or 23 and Me to provide clues.
Q. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Your favorite character to write, and/or most challenging?
Adam, the adopted gay teen struggling to be who he is, came in so clearly that I felt he was already written! I am not adopted, gay, or a teen boy, and researching his inner life by reaching out to others who shared some of his challenges was deeply inspiring and I am so grateful for what those conversations taught me.
Q. WRITING: Do you have a favorite chapter or scene in the novel you enjoyed writing the most?
Part 2 of this novel flashes back to when Jane was a teenager in the eighties, and it was so fun writing chapters in which she describes what it feels like to fall in love for the first time, because I got to remember what it felt like for me: “This was more than just a crush. I was that boy skunk from Looney Tunes—the one who’s so lovestruck by the girl skunk, his heart shoots out of his chest like a rock from a slingshot.”
Q. TOPICS: Name 1-3 emotionally charged topics or themes addressed in the novel.
This novel touches on themes of infidelity, adoption, and coming out during a time when being gay was not widely accepted. There is also a scene in an abortion clinic in which a character struggles to make the choice whether or not to continue with a pregnancy. When I was writing the character’s inner monologue, I knew some of her thoughts might be triggering. But the decision to carry an unplanned pregnancy to term can be complicated, and I tried not to judge my character’s feelings about it.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
“Murder at 30,000 Feet” is a locked room mystery on an airplane! It publishes in February 2026.
Thank you, Susan. All this is fascinating. Continue reading below for more up close and personal with Susan!
Behind the Author
Birth State?
Massachusetts
Current State?
California, but I have also recently lived in Canada!
DO TELL: From concert violinist, TV, screenwriting, directing, and novelist! Tell us more about this journey.
My mother comes from a family of musicians and put a violin under my chin when I was four. But I had terrible stage fright, and decided to quit the violin when I was seventeen and study political science instead. While an undergrad at Harvard, I took an internship at the local TV station, WBZ-TV Boston. I wanted to be on air reporting big important news, but I flubbed my audition, so they moved me to writing promos and copy instead. Being in TV news didn’t stick, but the writing did. I wrote movies for nearly twenty years before I finally got the chance to direct one that I’d written. ALL I WISH came out in 2017, and stars Sharon Stone, Tony Goldwyn, and Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn. When the pandemic hit and movie production stalled, I turned to novel writing to keep busy. And wouldn’t you know, it became my passion. Is the next step turning one of my books into a movie? (I hope so!)
FILM: Tell us about your directorial debut 2017, All I Wish starring Sharon Stone?
ALL I WISH is a coming of age comedy about a woman struggling to find love and a meaningful career. I originally cast Taylor Schilling from Orange is the New Black, to play the lead, and Sharon Stone to play her mother. When we were in pre-production, Taylor had to drop out because of scheduling conflicts. I had tears in my eyes when I told Sharon that the movie had fallen apart, and she surprised me by raising her hand to play the lead. As she put it, it’s so much more interesting to watch a fifty-year-old woman struggle to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up than a thirty-year-old one, because the stakes are so much higher. Working with Sharon was thrilling, she is a true movie star – glamorous and fierce and unafraid to speak her mind. I hope someday I can put my newfound skills to work directing another film (based on one of my books, perhaps?). Well, that’s the dream …
What is your writing kryptonite?
Being asked to write to an outline! I can’t write if I already know the plot, because what fun is that? I like to figure it out as I go, because that way the writing feels alive. It’s no fun when you already know the ending!
Favortite Food/Drink?
My favorite food is peanut butter. I sometimes eat it right out of the jar! Or on an apple or a banana. Is that bad? It’s probably bad …
Morning/Night Person?
Morning! I am useless after 3:00.
Dog/Cat Lover?
Dogs all day and night. Although I have been known to watch funny cat videos for hours. Nothing funnier than an uncoordinated cat!
Your favorite life lesson quote?
Charlie Brown to Snoopy: “What if today we are just grateful for everything?”
If you were stuck in an elevator alone with one celebrity, author, or character—who would it be?
Barbara Streisand. I’m obsessed with her singing voice, her acting talent, her confidence as a director, all the amazing things that she is.
The first book you remember reading that made you want to become an author—the one you cannot stop thinking of.
When I was in the movie business, I read more scripts than books. But my mother had a copy of Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn at her house, so I borrowed it. It was such a fun, quick read! The characterizations were rich, but the plot was relatively simple. That was the book that made me both want to try, and believe I could do it, because it touched on themes I understood (movies, isolation, betrayal!)
Favorite reading format?
1. Hardcover
2. Paperback
3. Digital
4. Audio
I read everything! I always have an audiobook going. And I have Kindle on my phone so I’m never without a book. I love the library, I get hardcovers there on occasion, but also borrow on the Libby app. And every few weeks I like to pick up a paperback of an author I love – Laura Lippman, Lisa Jewell, Wendy Walker, Blake Crouch … I like to be surrounded by books to keep me inspired.
Most memorable place you have traveled?
Italy! The ruins, the art, the espresso, the gelato, the castles and towns built right into the mountains. Everything about it captures my imagination!
If you were granted 3 months of uninterrupted writing time—where would it be?
1. A Busy Urban City
2. A Quiet Scenic Mountain Cabin surrounded by nature
3. A Coastal Seaside Cottage .
4. An Exotic Tropical Island
5. A Countryside Farmhouse surrounded by animals and organic gardens.
6. A charming, quaint historic Bed and Breakfast Inn
7. A Scenic Hunting Lodge
8. A Nostalgic Lake House
9. A Writer's Retreat
10. Other
A Coastal Seaside Cottage – I’m from Massachusetts, and I would love to spend a summer writing on Cape Cod or Nantucket! Perhaps someday ….
An unusual skill:
I am a phenomenal parallel parker. Seriously, I can get into any spot. I guess I just have a good sense of space when going backwards. Forwards … not so much.
A character you have written that is your favorite and why?
I loved writing Rowan from LETTERS FROM STRANGERS because he’s kind of an amalgamation of all the men I’ve loved.
Name a book title on your bookshelf or nightstand that would surprise your readers?
I love Sci-Fi. My nightstand is stacked with books by Andy Weir and Blake Crouch! Also love Matt Haig, THE HUMANS is one of my all-time favorite books, the observations are profound and the story so zany and fun.
Describe one thing on your desk, currently?
Coffee! Always coffee.
Which do you enjoy writing more: dialogue or internal thougths?
Dialogue. I like controlling what comes out of people’s mouths and am often disappointed I can’t do it in real life haha.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Nope. But sometimes I have a baseball game on. OK, usually I have a baseball game on. It’s a problem. (But at least baseball season is only six months a year.)
What is your favorite horror movie (or love story)?
I have seen Pretty Woman at least ten times. Julia Roberts is so effervescent, and the actors looked like they had so much fun making that movie! I got to work with the director, Garry Marshall, as one of his assistant directors on a movie called Dear God, he was so warm and wonderful.
Name a trait you inherited from your dad or mom? (good or bad)
I have chicken feet! They are awful. My dad and grandmother had them, too. I hope I didn’t pass them on to my daughters …
Describe your favorite pair of shoes.
Anything that hides my chicken feet.
What is something that you cannot live without? (Excluding computer, tablet, phone)
Peanut butter.
Your favorite thing about being a parent?
Meeting the other moms and dads and school functions. Gymnastics, dance, and track and field moms and dads have become some of my best friends, and I love that we can share our children’s formative memories!
The best part of your day?
When my daughter comes home from school and I can hear about her day.
The last book you raved about?
The Wedding People by Allison Espach. It’s amazing how refreshingly honest a person can be when she plans to be dead by morning …
If you were in witness protection, what would your alias be?
Beatrix Mandelbaum, former Jazzercize instructor, retired because of a tragic bowling accident.
What were you doing at midnight last evening?
The last time I was up until midnight I was singing karaoke and shooting whiskey. And paid for it the next day …
What do you want to be remembered for?
Being fun and kind to others.
Wish state or country? (Where you would love to live)
The French Alps with sheep and goats and lots of cheese.
What do you consider to be the most important element of a book?
1. Title
2. Cover
3. Plot
4. Pace
5. Setting
6. Characters
7. The Ending
8. Other
I feel like plots can be simple if characters are rich. But complex plots without authentic characters feel like cartoons to me. When I am trying to come up with an idea for a book, I always start with character! Who is she, what does she want, what’s stopping her from getting it … this is how it begins for me.
What are earlier jobs you had before becoming an author?
I worked in the movie business for nearly 25 years as an assistant director and then a screenwriter and director. My whole life has been about telling stories. Because isn’t it our stories that make us who we are?
Pie or cake?
Boston Cream Pie!
Ice Cream: Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate Chip!
Jeans, leggins, yoga, joggers, or sweats?
Yes to all! But please don’t try to put me in a skirt.
First job?
My first real job was as an assistant director trainee on a movie called Twin Peaks Fire Walk with me. It was grueling. We shot six days a week, sixteen hours a day. A lot of the shoot was in the woods at night in the freezing cold. I still have the original script, it’s a collector’s item!
First car?
Geo Storm. Which I totaled on my way to a movie set.
Coffee or tea?
Coffeeeeeeee!
Favorite author?
Lisa Jewell, for how she always comes from character, even when constructing complex plots.
Best part of being an author?
Talking to readers!
Name something you fear:
Heights! I get vertigo on mountain tops, on chair lifts … I even had a panic attack in the glass elevator at the Hotel Bonaventura. It’s only getting worse as I get older.
Have you ever cried at a movie?
Oh all the time. I’m a crier. I even cried during Frozen. While watching The Notebook, I yelled at the screen to MAKE IT STOP. Also fell to pieces watching Me Without You on a plane. My daughter was mortified.
An author who has inspired you?
Hank P. Ryan is the kindest, most talented and generous author and human I have ever met. She is always reaching back to help new authors.
Something you will never try again?
Skydiving
Sunshine, Rain, Snow?
Snow!
If you were not a writer, what would be your ideal career?
Star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, obviously!
If you could have a TV series or movie adapted based on one of your books, which one would it be?
Ummm… all of them please. But I think the one that NEEDS to be made is RUNNING COLD because the setting is so cinematic.
Thank you, Susan, for spending time with us today!
THANK YOU JUDITH!! 😊
REVIEW COMING~
