Light We Lost (Santopolo)

The Light We Lost 
Jill Santopolo, 2017
Penguin Publishing
336 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780735212756


Summary
He was the first person to inspire her, to move her, to truly understand her. Was he meant to be the last?

Lucy is faced with a life-altering choice. But before she can make her decision, she must start her story—their story—at the very beginning.

Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter.

When they meet again a year later, it seems fated—perhaps they’ll find life’s meaning in each other. But then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York.

What follows is a thirteen-year journey of dreams, desires, jealousies, betrayals, and, ultimately, of love. Was it fate that brought them together? Is it choice that has kept them away? Their journey takes Lucy and Gabe continents apart, but never out of each other’s hearts.

This devastatingly romantic debut novel about the enduring power of first love, with a shocking, unforgettable ending, is Love Story for a new generation. (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—ca. 1981
• Raised—Hewlett, New York, USA
• Education—B.A., Columbia University; M.F.A., Vermont College of Fine Ats
• Currently—lives in New York, New York


Jill Santopolo is the author of children's and young-adult books, as well as adult novels, including The Light We Lost (2017) and More Than Words (2019).  She grew up in Hewlett New York, on the South Shore of Long Island.

Santopolo received a BA in English literature from Columbia University and an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. In addition to her work as the editorial director of Philomel Books (an imprint of Penguin Young Readers group), she is an adjunct professor in The New School’s MFA program. Santopolo lives in New York City and  travels the world to speak about writing and storytelling. (Adapted from the publisher.)

Book Reviews
This moving story is a perfect understanding of the sacrifices we make for love and for our dreams.
Real Simple

It’s the epic love story of 2017 and the ending is one you’ll be feeling for months to come.
Redbook

Your new tearjerker has arrived: Fans of Me Before You and One Day will love/weep over this elegant novel.
New York Post

Have your tissues ready…This book will sink its hooks into your heart on page one, and leave you scarred long after you're done.
Bustle


The scale of this book's ambition is matched only by Santopolo's flawless execution. 9/11, love, sex, war, Shakespeare, American foreign policy—The Light We Lost has it all, illuminating so much of what our generation and what we in the media have lived through for fifteen years. The arc of this book, from the fall of the Twin Towers to a love letter written from the Middle East, gracefully and tragically charts the course not only of a genuine and deep love, but also that of our country and of our collective identities. It is memorable and haunting, because it is authentic and so close to home.
Nick Schifrin, PBS NewsHour Special Correspondent, NPR Correspondent


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.
Library Journal


Comparisons will be made to David Nicholls’ One Day, but there is something more romantic here—yet also more grounded—that will draw readers in.
Booklist


(Starred review.) 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.… A beautiful and devastating story that will captivate readers.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
1. The novel begins on September 11, 2001, a day in which history and Lucy’s life both change. Is there a day in your own life that you’ll never forget?

2. Lucy calls her love for Gabe “all-consuming and powerful” (p. 321). Was there a time in your life when you felt like this? Do you remember your own first love? How do you feel about that person now?

3. The novel explores how the choices we make can lead us to very different lifestyles. Do you think Lucy regrets any of her choices? Have you made a decision that has changed the course of your life drastically? If so, what was it? How do you feel about it now?

4. When talking to Lucy, Jay compares his explosive first relationship to the gummy bear experiment and his marriage to Vanessa to the Old Nassau experiment. He tells Lucy that “there are lots of ways to love people” (p. 80). Do you agree with Jay? Why or why not? Do you prefer one of these relationships in your own life?

5. Did you have a favorite man in the novel—Gabe or Darren? Who would you pick in the end?

6. Lucy and her friend Kate use the metaphor of fire to discuss the relationships in their lives—some are wildfires and some are hearth fires or bonfires (p. 138). Do you think the metaphor works? Is there one kind of relationship, or fire, that you wish you could find?

7. Lucy thinks, “There are so many moments that change a person’s world. Some are because of a decision that’s made. Others, I think, might be because of the universe, fate, God, a higher power, whatever you want to call it” (p. 291). How do you feel about Lucy’s approach to fate and free will? Do you believe in fate? Why or why not?

8. How is marriage portrayed in the novel? How did you feel when Gabe and Lucy reconnected? Were you surprised by Lucy’s reaction to Gabe?

9. Lucy is a loving mother, but she also balances a successful career in television, which Darren doesn’t always support. Were you frustrated with Darren’s priorities for Lucy, or were there times you agreed? How did you feel about Darren’s “paper doll” philosophy for finding a wife? How do you think this philosophy affected Lucy?

10. How did you feel about Gabe’s photography exhibit Light? Were you surprised? How does Gabe’s art shape the way he lives? How does it shape the way Lucy lives

11. What do you think about the way the novel ends?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)

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