Before Ever After

by Samantha Sotto

This is a strange and wonderful little book. I don’t remember how I heard of it to put it on my to-read list, but I’m glad I did. This is the story of Shelly, a widow of three years, who is startled one day by the arrival of Paolo, a young Italian man who looks eerily like her departed husband. He comes bearing a wild story and photos to back it up – that his grandfather (long dead) and her husband Max are in fact the same person, that he doesn’t appear to age, and that he is very much alive. They embark on a journey to find this man and figure out the how and why behind him. It’s told half as recollections of the past (specifically Shelly’s story of how she met Max) and half in the present, and the language is just gorgeous. It ranges all over Europe’s history and even to a tiny island in the Pacific. I wouldn’t exactly call it a light read, but it’s not a long one either. It’s a little sad in places, and a little strange (in a good way) overall, and will make you rather hungry for baked eggs & cheese. All I can say without giving anything more away is that I really enjoyed reading this, and it’s one of those books that leaves you feeling satisfied without completely wringing you over the emotional rack first. I would recommend you go grab it off a shelf somewhere. 🙂
 

I give it 4/5 stars.