The Light We Lost

Starred review from March 1, 2017
A woman looks back on the highs and lows of her turbulent relationship with her first love.College students Lucy and Gabe meet on Sept. 11, 2001, and have an instant connection amid the tragedy and fear. But when Gabe reunites with an ex-girlfriend, Lucy assumes she'll never see him again...until she runs into him at a bar almost a year after graduation. Their passion for each other is surpassed only by their passions for their dreams--Gabe's to be a photographer and Lucy's to be a children's show producer. As Gabe's talent flourishes, he gets his dream job as a war photographer in Iraq. Lucy is crushed when he leaves, but she moves on and marries Darren, a man who is stable and reliable where Gabe was exciting and driven. However, Darren never quite understands Lucy's dedication to her career or her commitment to making the world a better place. Lucy has children and a career she loves, but whenever she runs into Gabe or sees one of his haunting photographs, she questions whether building a life with Darren was the right decision. Lucy and Gabe are, as she describes them, "a binary star...orbiting around each other." When Gabe is injured in Gaza City, Lucy rushes to be by his side, telling him the story of their relationship and questioning her choices along the way. Against the backdrop of recent historical events--Obama's inauguration, bin Laden's death--Santopolo explores passion, fate, love, and what it means to truly be a good person. She raises questions readers will find themselves pondering long after they've turned the last page: are our lives shaped by our own choices or by forces outside our control? Are first loves forever? And is it worth risking stability and comfort for a love that is unpredictable and explosive? A beautiful and devastating story that will captivate readers.

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January 1, 2017

A children's/YA author and editorial director of Philomel Books, Santopolo goes adult with the story of Lucy and Gabe, who meet one fateful day as seniors at Columbia University and face more than a decade of love, jealousy, and turmoil. Rights sold quickly to 25 countries.

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