Before I Met You

Jazz Age London, a passionate and forbidden interracial romance, and the unbreakable bond between a bright young woman and her eccentric grandmother come together brilliantly in this gem of a novel, perfect for fans of Downton Abbey, Twenties Girl, and The Chaperone. After her grandmother Arlette's death, Betty is finally ready to begin her life. She had forfeited university, parties, boyfriends, summer jobs--all the usual preoccupations of a woman her age--in order to care for Arlette in their dilapidated, albeit charming home on the English island of Guernsey. Her will included a beneficiary unknown to Betty and her family, a woman named Clara Pickle who presumably could be found at a London address. Now, having landed on a rather shabby street corner in '90s Soho, Betty is determined to find the mysterious Clara. She's ready for whatever life has to throw her way. Or so she thinks . . . In 1920s bohemian London, Arlette De La Mare is starting her new life in a time of postwar change. Beautiful and charismatic, she is soon drawn into the hedonistic world of the Bright Young People. But two years after her arrival in London, tragedy strikes and she flees back to her childhood home and remains there for the rest of her life. As Betty navigates the ups and downs of city life and begins working as a nanny for a rock star tabloid magnet, her search for Clara leads her to a man--a stranger to Betty, but someone who meant the world to her grandmother. Will the secrets of Arlette's past help Betty find her own way to happiness in the present? A rich detective story and a captivating look at London then and now, Before I Met You is an unforgettable novel about two very different women, separated by seventy years, but united by big hearts and even bigger dreams.

Review :
"Compelling and heartbreaking. . . . I couldn't put it down."--Jojo Moyes, author of The Last Letter From Your Lover "Beautiful, moving, and unputdownable."--Jojo Moyes, author of "Me Before You" "Beautiful, moving, and unputdownable." "Lisa Jewell's latest escapist love story is heartbreakingly good." "GH favourite Lisa Jewell leaves the chick-lit tag firmly behind with "Before I Met You", a poignant story about a young woman uncovering her grandmother's bohemian life in 1920s London - and finding her own place in the world in the process." "The stories of Lydia, Dean, and Robyn are each engrossing on their own; combined with the over-arching storyline of their father, they make for an irresistible read. Anyone who has ever pondered the nature of family or imagined finding a long-lost sibling will be captivated by "The Making of Us"." "An engaging tale of choices made and not made, families lost and families gained, this should appeal to fans of Jewell's work as well as such authors as Jodi Picoult." "Jewell's moving novel immerses readers in the lives of these unique characters through the universal themes of family and a search for belonging. Jewell has written a compelling and entertaining novel." "Filled with heart and humor, this latest from British bestseller Jewell raises all those big questions about identity, family and fitting in." "What a delightful novel! I was truly absorbed by Betty and Arlette. A wonderful perspective on the curiosity, confidences and deep affection that can exist between the generations. The story is ingeniously and seamlessly balanced within two different time frames, and the care Lisa Jewell devotes to the sense of place and the detailed fabric of each age gives her book a richness that both charms and moves."--Juliet Nicolson, author of "Abdication "and "The Great Silence: Britain From the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age" "This is another emotional clever read from Jewell, beautifully written and populated with carefully constructed characters you'll be rooting for as you race through it.... I couldn't put it down."--Sara Lawrence, "Daily Mail" (London) "Lisa Jewell's writing is like a big warm hug, and this book is a touching, insightful, and gripping story which I simply couldn't put down."--Sophie Kinsella, author of "Wedding Night"