The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth - TLC Book Tour

 

About The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth

• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (July 29, 2025)
• Paperback: 397 pages

Two women overcoming past traumas embark on a healing journey across continents in a novel about friendship, family, and rediscovery by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

Recently and abruptly divorced Veronica Barrington is anxious for a new direction when she answers a listing for a travel companion. It’s from Mariah Ellsworth, a young woman adjusting to an injury that ended her Olympic career. She’s also grieving her mother, Rachel, a lauded food writer, and Mariah aims to trace the steps of her mother’s final, unfinished project so she can heal and also honor the woman she misses.

Veronica seizes on the opportunity to experience with Mariah the culture, traditions, and intoxicating aromas of Parsi cafés throughout London, Paris, Morocco, and India. Accompanied by a former war photographer who has a wounded history of his own, and with just Rachel’s letters to guide them, the quest is a chance to not only close a chapter in life but also begin a new one.

Following the letters one by one–each a clue to an illuminating mystery–Veronica and Mariah must face the painful and beautiful challenges of freeing themselves from the dark shadows of the past. Together, far from home, they can find the light.

“A compelling journey across the globe as two women search for a path from the darkness into the light. Barbara O’Neal’s latest is an exploration of Parsi cuisine, learning to let go, and finding purpose in the most unexpected places.” ?Mansi Shah, author of A Good Indian Girl

“A moving and engaging tale about an unlikely duo whose quest to find answers about a culinary project takes them through different countries, scattered Parsi cafés, and the hidden reservoirs of grief. As Veronica deals with the loss of a life she loved and Mariah grapples with lost dreams and the loss of a parent, the bond they develop with each other (and with beloved Henry!) is life affirming. A testament to the power of self-discovery and strong connection and how both can help us heal and recover.” ?Marjan Kamali, bestselling author of The Lion Women of Tehran

“This journey from unspeakable pain to finding your place in the world is at once heart wrenching and hopeful. I traveled across the globe with these broken characters as they put themselves together one step, one meal, and one act of human connection at a time. Barbara O’Neal’s books have an epic quality that makes me feel rage and healing in a way no one else can, and always expand my lens of empathy in surprising ways. A shatteringly honest yet deeply hopeful read!” ?Sonali Dev, bestselling author of There’s Something About Mira

About the author

Barbara O’Neal is the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of nearly twenty novels of women’s fiction, including the #1 Amazon Charts bestseller When We Believed in Mermaids, as well as Memories of the Lost, This Place of Wonder, and The Starfish Sisters. Her award-winning books have been published in over two dozen countries. She lives on the wild Oregon Coast with her husband, a British endurance athlete who vows he’ll never lose his accent.

 

I have read quite a few of Barbara O'Neal's books, so when TLC book tours contacted me to ask if I would be interested in reviewing her latest work, I immediately said yes. 

 

 

 

My Thoughts: 

 

I will say that the beginning of the book didn't quite captivate me.  It took me a while to get into it, and I think what mainly threw me off right from the start, was the dialogue between Veronica and her kids during Thanksgiving.  Why was that?  Maybe just a personal quirk of mine, but I can't stand the words boomer or the mocking of anyone by calling them boomer.  I'll leave it at that.

 

However, I decided to just forget about that personal dislike and stick with the book.  I actually listened to the audiobook while going about my day, and quite enjoyed the story.

 

Veronica is a newly divorced mother of grown children.  She is struggling in this newly divorced life, she doesn't quite know what to do with herself after dedicating her entire life to being the perfect wife and mother.  

 

On the other side, we have Mariah who recently lost her mother, and is wanting to retrace her steps through her unfinished foodie book project, taking her through numerous world countries, one of them being India who Veronica has always wanted to visit.

 

When the opportunity presents itself for Veronica to accompany Mariah on this world trip, she seizes it, jumping in feet first and not looking back.  Both women have grief to deal with, huge changes in their lives they are trying to navigate through, and both seem a bit uncertain of the journey they are about to embark on, but they're determined to make it work.  They don't know each other, have never met, but decide to make it work anyway.

 

They are accompanied by a war photographer who actually used to be Rachel's (Mariah's late mother), boyfriend.  He becomes this almost calm, strong, rock for both women.  

 

I loved the food aspects of the book because, Hello, I have a food blog and love cooking.  There are so many delicious foods mentioned that I have been googling like a crazy lady, especially all the Indian dishes.  

 

The whole book brings a story of love, of forgiveness, of second chances and of friendship between two women who are very different, age wise, life wise, but both sort of dealing with the same angst and hurt, and both trying to heal, while developing a strong friendship that will last for years to come.

 

Overall, it was such a joy to read, well listen in my case, to this book.  It went quite fast, the story moved along, the characters were well developed and the description of the countries they visited and the food they ate was the cherry on top.

 

 

Thank you to Lisa at TLC Book Tours, to Lake Union Publishing and to the wonderful Barbara O'Neal who sent the sweetest book, bookmarks and wax sealed letter.