Ned Malone has trouble getting dressed each morning following the sudden death of his wife, Annamelia. The Irish Catholic couple had lived a contented life on their farm in southwest Ohio until a massive stroke took Annamelia away.

Ned meets Myrtle Stritch, a widow who helps him move past his grief with her love of dancing and card playing.

Myrtle has an inordinate attachment to her dog, but Ned is charmed by her persistence. What Ned doesn't know is that Myrtle is not all she pretends to be. And Myrtle doesn't realize how hard it will be to erase Ned's memory of his dead wife.

He dutifully keeps Annamelia informed of his adventures in his diary. Thus, the title, Dear Annamelia.

Ed Barmann completed the novel in May 2008, a month short of his 84th birthday. A former newspaper editor, Barmann draws on his memories of growing up in Southern Ohio to tell a story that is both tragic and humorous. One reviewer compared his writing style to that of novelist Richard Russo, who wrote the Pulitzer-prize winning "Empire Falls."

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