The Last Letter

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of the death of a child.

The letters are an important recurring motif and narrative device in the book. As a narrative device, the letters appear non-linearly at the beginning of most chapters, foreshadowing a particular event or idea that will be explored shortly after. For instance, Chaos’s letter about Maisie’s health appears at the beginning of the chapter in which she receives her diagnosis. Similarly, shortly after the letter in which Chaos asserts that he doesn’t want to be a father, Beckett ends up adopting the twins.

Ella and Beckett’s relationship begins through their letter writing, and the novel opens with the first letter Ella ever writes to “Chaos.” Despite having never met, their mutual vulnerability causes them to fall in love with the selves they show each other in their letters. For Ella, Chaos is a source of support in tough times; for Beckett, Ella’s letters are a source of connection and comfort. In this way, the letters highlight the themes of Building Trust Through Vulnerability and Commitment and The Healing Power of Love and Relationships.

The title of the book also points to the importance of letters in the story. There are multiple “last letters” in the book, and each of them holds a different significance. Ryan’s last letter is the one in which he asks Beckett to take care of Ella. Ella’s last letters to Chaos go unanswered, which is a source of great pain for her, as she believes him dead along with Ryan. Beckett’s last letter is addressed to Ella, which Captain Donahue passes on to her after Beckett quits the military and the unit leaves Telluride; in it, he confesses his love for her and reveals his true identity. Each of these last letters is significant: Ryan’s last letter is what brings Beckett to Telluride and into Ella’s life after he initially chose to distance himself from her. Chaos’s lack of response to Ella’s last letters hurts even more when she discovers that Chaos is Beckett, contributing to the novel’s central conflict. Finally, Beckett’s last letter is proof that he has loved Ella all along and is a source of comfort and joy to her after Colt’s death.