Dear Orchid

Letters and New Beginning

By: Carol Van Den Hende

Narrated by: Carol Van Den Hende

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

Told through a mix of true stories and new fiction, Dear Orchid opens the heart in unexpected ways: through loss and love, silence and recovery, and the hard-won resilience of people who don’t always fit the mold.

With tenderness and heart, Dear Orchid 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 characters who refuse to be defined by what they’ve lost.

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

Written in a lyrical, letter-style format, this collection blends memoir and imagination in a deeply personal exploration of grief, identity, and human connection. It’s a window into private moments that echo something universal.

Underneath the heartbreak and humor runs the quiet pull between star-crossed lovers, whose stories unfold across time, distance, and impossible odds.

Whether you’re drawn to true stories of survival or fictional narratives filled with tenderness and truth, Dear Orchid offers an emotional journey that celebrates love in all its forms.

A collection for anyone who’s ever loved, lost, or longed to understand the emotional truth behind the quiet moments that shape us.

Includes elements of multicultural and medical romance, true stories, and unforgettable moments of vulnerability and hope.

Also look for the Goodbye Orchid trilogy.

©2025 Azine Press (P)2025 Azine Press

Heartstrings, Healing, and Unforgettable Narration

Dear Orchid is a tender, hope-soaked conclusion to the Orchid Trilogy—one that speaks straight to the heart. Carol Van Den Hende writes with such gentle honesty that her characters feel beautifully real: brave, flawed, and deeply human. Heartstrings of emotion are threaded through each passionate chapter, creating a story that feels intimate, uplifting, and touched with grace.

But the true gift here is the audiobook. Read by the author herself, it becomes a living, breathing experience. Her voice carries every whisper of doubt, every spark of courage, every fragile moment of healing. It’s phenomenally done—rich, tender, and full of emotional truth.

A deeply inspiring listen for anyone who believes in hope’s steady glow and the quiet miracles that rise from broken places.

I'm beyond grateful to Ms. Van Den Hende for the honor of listening to this exceptional Audio version of this book! All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own. So worth the five stars and so many more.

Compelling and Reflective

Dear Orchid blends true stories and fiction to explore love, loss, resilience, and the quiet strength of those who don’t fit neatly into expectations. Through intimate letter-style portraits, it captures the beauty and complexity of friendship, family, disability, and belonging. The collection culminates in a poignant fictional reunion with characters from the Goodbye Orchid trilogy, offering healing, closure, and a hopeful second chance at love.

The author, Carol Van Den Hende, crafts each piece with a poetic, letter-like rhythm, merging lived experiences and creative vision into a powerful reflection on grief, identity, and human connection. Her clear, passionate writing invites readers into deeply personal moments that echo with shared emotional truth. Woven through the heartbreak and flashes of humor is a gentle yet gripping thread of star-crossed lovers whose stories stretch across time and distance. She blends authenticity with imaginative warmth, building a rich emotional world that honors resilience and the many expressions of love. This collection showcases a writer who captures—and elevates—the quiet, defining moments that shape our inner lives vividly.

Serving also as the narrator, Carol Van Den Hende, delivers a moving performance that emphasizes the emotions of each piece with precision and care. She speaks clearly and with a passionate sincerity that fully immerses the listener from the first moment. Her ability to project the emotional truth brings the author’s intentions vividly to life. Each shift in tone feels purposeful, allowing the listener to experience the depth, tenderness, and heartbreak woven throughout the collection.

A compelling and reflective read that quickly draws you in.

There were no issues with the sound or quality of this audiobook.

This book is amazing!

OMG. This book is amazing! I loved the mixture of fiction and nonfiction. This collection of stories was like a love letter to the heart. It read like a collection of poetry.

While each story is short, they were impactful. In fact, I re-read some of them to absorb what I had just read better. Each story played in my head with vivid images. Having read Carol's Orchid books, I really loved reading those stories a lot.

Not that I did not already know Carol is an amazing writer, but this book showcased her talent. So, if you are fan of Carol or just looking for your next great read, pick up a copy of this book.

Uplifting

Dear Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende is a beautifully crafted collection of letters and short stories that honors the people she has cherished and admired from childhood through the present day. Her vivid, colorful descriptions—ranging from the places she has traveled to the charming details about her orange cat—bring warmth and personality to every page. Themes of laughter, love, and the transformative power of acceptance shine throughout the book. I especially enjoyed the audiobook edition, narrated by Carol herself, which adds an intimate and heartfelt touch to the experience. The inclusion of a thoughtful interview with Sgt. Bryan Anderson is an added bonus, offering meaningful insight and inspiration. I wholeheartedly recommend Dear Orchid to anyone seeking a heartfelt and uplifting read.