Synopsis
Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.
But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.
Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.
Thoughts
It took me a long time to take on this incredible book. It was published in 2018 on the day before my little family suffered an unimaginable loss due to suicide. There are small things that can send you right back, and every time I opened this book, that date was staring me in the face. So, at any rate, this book represents a big healing hurdle for me, and I am so happy to have come to this place where I could enjoy this story.
This is one of only four books that made me cry in the past year. So, take that as a testament to the author duo’s storytelling and character-building. Macy and Ben are two characters who will be living in my heart for some time. Needless to say, this book has found a spot among my favorite books.
★★★★★
Quote
“It never occurred to me that love could be anything other than all-consuming. Even as a child, I knew I never wanted anything less.”