Every Story Is a Love Story

From the New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers, a captivating novel about love lost—and the weight of regret.

What if I’d never gotten into that car? What if I’d pulled out of the driveway five minutes earlier, or ten minutes later?

Three years ago, Wolo’s pregnant wife was killed in a tragic car accident. In an instant, the great love of his life was gone, along with their shared future: the twins they were expecting, the PhD she was on the cusp of completing, and the house they had just bought in New Jersey. In the face of a loss that once seemed insurmountable, Wolo has slowly rebuilt a semblance of a life. He goes to work, spends time with a small circle of friends, and fends off the matchmaking efforts of the older women in his family. The grief that once consumed him has, with time, become a little gentler.

Until a letter arrives one day, unbidden, threatening to upend his life once again. It is from Victoria, the woman who was behind the wheel that terrible day. Wolo’s family pastor tells him the letter is the work of the devil; his mother expressly forbids him from mentioning it again; his father’s second wife calls from Cameroon to urge him to destroy it. But Wolo ponders it for days and ultimately agrees to meet the woman who killed his wife. When he does, her compassion and deep remorse affect him in ways he never imagined, and he begins to wonder whether the long road to healing can be shared.

What do we owe to those who have hurt us? Are we defined by our worst moments and deepest regrets? And, more than anything, can forgiveness ease our suffering? Moving and full of life, Every Story Is a Love Story charts the uneven path from heartbreak to healing.