The Dead Romantics

Benji Andor is a main character and Florence’s love interest in the novel. He is 36 and tall, with floppy brown hair and brown eyes. He lives alone with a cat named Dolly Purrton. Ben’s parents died in a car accident when he was 13, and he wears his father’s wedding ring on a chain around his neck so he can feel close to his parents. His grandmother, Ann Nichols, raised him, and Ben learned to appreciate romance from reading her books.

In the last year of his grandmother’s life, when she was ill, Ben found solace in reading Florence’s novel, Ardently Yours. He is a romantic at heart, believing in true love, but when Ben spent too much time with his work, his fiancée, Laura, cheated on him with her co-worker. This betrayal left Ben feeling that he doesn’t deserve a grand passion. Instead, he threw himself into work as an editor at a horror imprint and then, when that folded, of romance.

Ben is organized and methodical. He wears button-down shirts, a tie, and pressed pants to work. His desk is clean and tidy. He is a polite, reserved sort of person, and the tips of his ears turn red when he’s embarrassed. While he can be an ardent lover, as Florence finds, he is respectful of his partner. Ben is, in romance terms, a “cinnamon roll,” a hero who is attractive but soft-hearted, “the anti-Christian Grey” (Makhijani, Pooja. “Sweet Cinnamon Roll Heroes: New Romance Novels.” www.publishersweekly.com). Ben is not at all dominant, violent, or damaged, as romance heroes can tend to be.

Ben is intrigued by Florence and enjoys how her chaotic temperament contrasts with his own steady manner. Ben is emotionally intuitive and supportive; he often asks Florence what she needs, aware that she is hurting over her father’s death. He understands loss, and he can empathize. Florence’s ability to listen to and encourage him help Ben trust in his own worth. Florence notices over the course of their ghost relationship that Ben’s tidy appearance gets steadily messier—his tie askew, buttons unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up. This shows he is relaxing, letting down his guard, and ready for the messiness of falling in love.

Xavier Day, Florence’s father, isn’t physically described in the novel, but he is a strong presence throughout the book. He is a loving husband and father, devoted to his family. He met his wife at a ballroom dance class and continued to dance with her over the 30 years of their marriage, showing a romantic side that inspires Florence. She remembers him as “the kind of man who gave the best bear hugs. He put his whole heart into them” (62). Florence thinks of him as patient, kind, and wise. He smoked and drank and enjoyed his Thursday poker games. He made a CD of songs called the “good goodbyes” that he played when cleaning up after a funeral. He decorated the house for Halloween and liked jokes, and he was always supportive of his kids. He never pressed Florence to come back home to Mairmont but instead brought the family to New York City to spend the Christmas holidays with her.

Xavier’s last requests for his funeral seem eccentric, but they prove heartfelt. He wants wildflowers to make his wife happy. He wants an Elvis impersonator to sing so no one can be too sad or serious. He orders festive celebratory balloons because his sense of humor has always been eccentric, but he also wants to remind his family of how much there is in life to celebrate. He is the one who tells Florence that the wind is the dead singing, which she continues to believe. He is the one who teaches Florence to help when she can. He is the kind of man who delivers flowers to a widow on her anniversary because her husband isn’t alive to do it. His support helps restore Florence’s faith in herself, especially when she learns he knew she was a ghostwriter and was proud of her. He teaches Florence that the dead are never gone and that, despite the grief and pain of loss, she will be okay.