Synopsis
The story of the heart can never be unwritten.
Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.
But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother…only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.
Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.
Review
“I never got to fall out of love. I just had to move on.”
I’ve just had a very delightful read that kept me up until the wee hours this morning just so I could finish it! Thank God for this book. I finally overcame my book drought.
Thinking this was a light read, I delve blindly into it and was surprised to learn that it was an emotional read as well.
Love and Other Words is told in alternate past and present which did wonders on the story-telling. I got thrilled wondering what would happen next, and what happened before that.
Macy Sorensen was just thirteen when she met Elliot. Getting through from the tragic loss of her mother and with her father barely coping up, she found solace and comfort in Elliot. Elliot was her buoy, who helped her deal and grieve from her loss. They shared a bond over their love of reading and would often spend time inside her library and discuss things related to books.
“Why can’t everyone be like you?”
“I can be enough of your world that it feels like everyone is.”
Elliot is the typical nerdy guy. Lanky, wild hair, with glasses plus braces. He doesn’t sugarcoat things. He’s sensible, and isn’t afraid to tell even the ugliest truth to Macy.
“I’m not prepared for this,” I admit quietly.
“Do you have to prepare for me?”
“If there’s anyone I have to prepare for, it’s you.”
I liked how the author gradually developed their relationship. There was no insta-love. Instead, there were deep and meaningful conversations, dozens of shared experiences, and a strong foundation of friendship that later on turned into something more. Their relationship was so deeply rooted not only in their hearts but also to their families that it was so hard to let it go and it might have been the only reason why it worked after so many years of no communication.
“Admissions make feelings intensify simply because they are given space to breathe. Admissions lead to love, and admitting love is like tying yourself to a train track.”
I also commend the build-up of the characters – Macy’s innocence was such a delight, the maturity as they age, how they fell in love. It was perfect.
Would I recommend this book to readers? Yes of course! You would enjoy the emotional build-up.
