P.S. Longer Letter Later is an epistolary novel about two young friends, the outgoing Tara and the introverted Elizabeth. After Tara moves away to Ohio, they begin to correspond through letters. Tara has difficulty at first in her new home, but soon becomes involved at school, makes new friends and finds a boyfriend. Elizabeth's father becomes a drunkard who drives the family into poverty and eventually leaves her mother. Despite their separation, Tara and Elizabeth remain close friends.
Tara is outgoing and impulsive and likes to write, while Elizabeth is shy, quiet and prefers writing poetry. Even so, they are best friends.
When Tara moves to Ohio, the girls continue their friendship through letters back and forth to each other. They have to do this by writing, because Elizabeth's father does not like Tara, and Tara's parents think it is expensive to talk on the phone. The letters detail the changes in their lives– Tara must cope with moving, making new friends and dealing with her mother's pregnancy, while Elizabeth's family begins to fall apart. Tara makes another best friend in Ohio, whose name is Hannah. Tara calls her Pal Indrome because her name is the same spelled backwards as forwards. It becomes her new nickname and everyone calls her "Pal". Tara also gets a boyfriend, Alex, who kisses her.
Elizabeth's father starts to scare her when he is coming home later than usual, drinking, and going overboard on his credit cards after he loses his job and has no money. Meanwhile Tara is making new friends, joining clubs and getting involved in school activities. When Elizabeth's family has to move to an apartment because of money problems, her dad decides to leave, and separates from her mother.
It is through their alternating letters that readers learn how Tara and Elizabeth grow and change– and how they keep their friendship strong, even if it is long-distance. This book shows how hard a friendship can be when a person can't see her friend, but suggests that for someone who truly cares about something and works hard for it, anything can happen.
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