The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo @JillSantopolo @HQstories #TheLightWeLost

Every love story has a beginning… 

11th September 2001. Lucy and Gabe meet in New York on a day that will change their lives – and the world – forever. As the city burns behind them, they kiss for the very first time.

Over the next thirteen years they are torn apart, then brought back together, time and time again. It’s a journey of dreams, of desires, of jealousy, of forgiveness – and above all, love.

As Lucy is faced with a devastating choice, she wonders whether their love is a matter of destiny or chance.…what if this is how their story ends?

Me Before You meets One Day in this passionate debut novel, The Light We Lost, an epic love story about the heartrending decision that one woman must make…

The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo is published in hardback by HQ at Harper Collins on 18 May 2017.


Most of us will remember where we were on September 11th, 2001, when the Twin Towers in New York were attacked by terrorists. It was a life-changing, world-altering day. The images are burned into our memories, it is a date that is etched into our brains.

Lucy and Gabe were students in 2001, living in New York. For them, September 11th evokes other memories alongside the horror of the crumbling skyscrapers and the sight of human bodies hurtling through the air, to their death. It was also the day that they met, that they kissed for the first time, and for the rest of their lives, that day will also mark new beginnings, as well as tragedy and pain.

The Light We Lost is a story of long, enduring love. It packs an emotional punch that will leave the reader reeling, gulping back the tears and turning the pages as quickly as possible.

Jill Santopolo has told her story in Lucy's voice. The narrative is a letter, written by Lucy, many years after their first meeting. It details their relationship from that first meeting as New York City trembled,  and continues for thirteen years as they age, further their careers, move across the world, but never, ever quite let go.

In real life, love rarely runs smoothly, and this author has captured both the beauty of a love affair, along with the devastation that can also be wrought by love. Lucy and Gabe are perfectly created, both have their flaws and their failings, but despite these, no reader can fail to fall for them, completely and utterly, echoing their own feelings for each other.

I have no doubt that The Light We Lost is going to be among my top reads of this year. It is a story that lingers in the mind, long after the final page is turned. It truly is quite beautiful.

My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

Jill Santopolo received an MFA in fiction writing, is the author of three successful children's and young-adult series, and works as the editorial director of Philomel Books.
An adjunct professor in The New School's MFA programme, she travels the world to speak about writing and storytelling.

You can visit her online at www.jillsantopolo.com or follow her on Twitter @jillsantopolo.

She lives in New York City