Anna knows that her mother is dying of cancer. On her thirteenth birthday her mother gives her the greatest gift of all, a box of letters filled with advice, guidance and love. "Dear Anna," is the story of Anna's life and the letters that help her along the way. It is a story of the bond between mother and daughter that reaches beyond life and death. "As I opened the jewelry box the scent of my mother's perfume filled the air, a scent that over time would gradually fade, but never go away completely. Inside I found that the jewelry box was packed full of envelopes. Each had an event written on the front: The Day You Turn Sixteen; The Day You Graduate from High School; The Day You Get Married. She had written me a letter for every event that she could think of that she knew she was going to miss. It was a bitter sweet moment. I was so happy to have a piece of her that would stay with me throughout my life, but I knew how close we must be to the end for her to give this to me." ("Dear Anna," Chapter 1)