I have really enjoyed Barbara O’Neal‘s other novels so when Lisa from the TLC  Book Tour emailed me about The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth I immediately responded, “Yes, I would love to read it!”

I received a free review copy of this book from the author for this stopover.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions, thoughts and rants are completely my own.

About the book:

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.

You can read my reviews of some of her other books here.

What I thought….

I usually read a couple of books (or more) at a time—an old fashioned hard copy, an ebook, and then usually a cookbook or two. While I was reading my paperback The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth, I was also reading an ebook that had a similar plot (a mother’s death that prompts a trip abroad). I had to put that one down to focus on O’Neal’s characters.

The traveling duo here is broken, both Veronica and Mariah. They are both broken emotionally and Mariah is definitely recovering from some horrific injuries. They are both trying to forge a new life, too.

Veronica is trying to make her own space and way in the world. Her adult children and ex don’t make it easy for her. Her ex-husband is constantly trying to decrease the meager alimony that he is paying because he is starting a new family. Her children selfishly plan to spend the holiday vacation skiing with their dad. Obviously, that means Veronica is by herself. Mariah comes along at just the right time even though Veronica’s children are appalled and worried about her new employer. Basically, her kids are just selfish whiners.

To say that Mariah is dealing with a lot is an understatement. She has to hire a companion to manage her luggage (and life). She is still trying to manage the loss of independence from her injury. She’s lost her mother. (We find out later in the book just how much she does have to cope with…. It’s a tremendous cross to bear.)

Veronica is old enough to be Mariah’s mom so there is a bit of conflict there as they try to establish a working relationship.

This new gig not only gives Veronica an income to supplement her meager alimony, but it also gets her closer to exploring research to finish her thesis about the Bloomsbury group. (We never quite know the details here except the focus is on Elsie, who married to survive and was an artist.) As she progresses on her journey of renewal, Veronica lets the idea of Elsie go, partially to focus on Rachel.

OK, I did enjoy this book. But (the proverbial “but), I did think there were some editing or story issues. I don’t want to give the plot away, but more time was needed on Rachel. I was expecting lots of Rachel’s letters. There were not. I was also expecting a LOT from the letters. The tone of Rachel’s letters were juvenile at best. In fact, I’m not sure really how good of a guide the letters actually were. It seemed like Veronica was working off more of an outline and addresses that Rachel left than these elusive letters. She was also clever enough to glean information from the people she meets in the cafes.

Toward the end of the book, Veronica starts sharing more and more about her childhood in Taos. Some if it was relevant. Some of it was a little cringeworthy. Regardless, again, I either wanted to know more about the early Veronica or have it tied in a little more.

That being said, Veronica is a saint and her ex and children are spoiled brats. Mariah is strong and stoic and will be okay, especially with the new family she creates for herself.

I would like to have learned more about the Parsi community in this book.

Really, a lot of great ideas here….just not executed the best.

That is all.

The food:

The book opens with Veronica making a Thanksgiving feast in her small apartment (post divorce). All the food is catered to her children’s likes. She strives to make everything perfect “like a Dutch painting” (5). In opposition to this scene, Mariah eats a more meager meal (and reminisces how her mother hated the overblown food holiday). Most of the rest of the food comes from the trip as they explore Parsi cafes.

• Thanksgiving feast: strawberry and blueberry infused water, banofee pie, yam casserole, turkey, fresh cranberry sauce with orange zest and walnuts, stuffed celery, vegan apple upside-down cake (5-6)
• Chicken noodle soup and gilled cheese (14)
• Danish with apricot filling (and nutmeg?) (62)
• Bacon (74)
• British grocery shopping: quail eggs, goat cheese a beetroot pasta, “seriously strong” cheddar, frozen fish pie, Thai curry soup, Indian and Chinese ready meals (76)
• Lamb dish with roasted onions and peppers, perfect rice, tomato and cucumber salad, and pita bread (78)
• keema pattice (96)
• fresh lime soda and chai (98)
• bun maska, omelet, eggs in tomato sauce, chicken and rice (100)
• tomato per eedu(101)
• dates and molokia leaves, sweet tamarind, and star fruit (151)
• goat biryani, bun maska, lime soda (163)
• lamb samosas and gunpowder potatoes (168)
• rose lassi and cardamom lassi (169)
• kala khatta gola ice (172)
• drinking chocolate, Mont-Blanc, onion soup, eggs Benedict with avocado, mille-feuille, quiche Lorraine, and an apple “thing” (198)
• kir and a profiterole (221)
• olives, apricots bread (254)
• lamb tangine (259)
• dosas, chutneys (264)
• langar (267)
• prawns berry pulao and mutton biryani (311)
• kulfi (329)
• parathas, chia, spicy rice and peas (338)
• lentils flavored with ginger, cumin, and chile (348)
• matar kulcha, sticky hot cauliflower and mango cocktails (361)

I have a lot of tomatoes and cucumbers so I decided to make a take on Kachumber salad. I don’t know if this is the same salad that Veronica has at the small café in London, but this was the recipe I found when I researched “Indian cucumber tomato salad.” Because it was a Saturday afternoon and I didn’t want to run to the store, I used what was on hand. This is not an authentic recipe be aware.

Parsi-Inspired Cucumber and Tomato Salad

By Debra (based on Kachumber Salad)

Ingredients

• 1 small sweet white onion, diced
• 2 T. lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 t. salt, plus more to taste
• 8-10 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced
• 1/8 c. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/8 c.  fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. ground black pepper
• 1/4 t. coriander
• Pinch of black salt

Instructions

1. Place the onions in a large bowl and add the citrus juice and salt. Use your hands to squeeze the onions with the juice until the onions have broken down a bit. Press down and let this mixture soak for 5 minutes.
2.  While the onions soak, prepare the other ingredients.
3. Add the tomato, cucumber, jalapeno, cilantro, and mint to the onions. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
4. Add the rest of the spices and and mix again. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Yield: 4 servings.

Next on my list is to make tomato per eedu. And, bun maska is mentioned so many times with such deliciousness I would love to try these (but perhaps not making them myself).

Thanks to TLC and Barbara O’Neal for the opportunity to read The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth.

For a great article on the Parsi food tradition, check out this article from Food & Wine: Parsi dinner party.

I’m linking up with Foodies Read for July.

Check out what others thought:

Monday, July 28th: @laurasreviews_1 and Laura’s Reviews

Tuesday, July 29th: The Bookish Dilettante

Tuesday, July 29th: @sarahs.bookish.reviews

Wednesday, July 30th: Reading Reality and @reading_reality

Thursday, July 31st: @_jenniferreads_

Friday, August 1st: @books_old_and_new

Sunday, August 3rd: Girl Who Reads 

Monday, August 4th: @booksandlagniappe 

Wednesday,  August 6th: @diveintoagoodbook

Friday, August 8th: @beth.eats.and.reads

Monday, August 11th: @ifcatscouldread

Wednesday, August 13th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Thursday, August 14th: Novels Alive

Monday, August 18th: Cerebral Girl in a Redneck World 

Monday, August 18th: @tiffanyvt4

Wednesday, August 20th: @kristens.reading.nook

Thursday, August 21st: @pickagoodbook and Pick a Good Book

Monday, August 25th: What is That Book About

Monday, August 25th: @clp412