Melissa (Trying to Catch Up)'s Reviews > Before You Knew My Name

Achingly beautiful.

"No one lives just one life. We start and finish our worlds many times over. And no matter how long or short a time we are here, I'm beginning to realize we all want more than we get."

This is a story that shouldn't have worked for me, but it did. It's the story of two women who come to New York City: Alice, who at age 18 is just embarking on her life after a rough childhood and a series of bad choices, and Ruby, a 36-year-old Australian woman who is looking for a fresh start. We know from the beginning that Alice has died and Ruby finds her body, but we don't know the circumstances or what happens when Ruby decides to try to figure out who Alice was.

This is a gorgeously written novel that encompasses larger themes within the narrative. It's the story of life and death, grief and loss, but it is also about women and choices. It's about consent, about the default action of women to be polite and accommodating even when uncomfortable, about seeking the truth about ourselves even when it's uncomfortable. It's about regrets and missed opportunities, but it's also about diving in and taking chances even when it's difficult.

It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I did I was absolutely captivated to the point where I stayed up way too late to finish the book because I wanted to know what happened. There's a bit of mystery, yes, but the book is about so much more than that, the mystery really takes a back seat to the emotions and growth of the characters.

This is a stunning debut and I look forward to reading more by this talented writer.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.