Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto

Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto

BEFORE EVER AFTER by Samantha Sotto

Publisher: Crown Publishers

Publication Date: August 2, 2011

Summary: Three years after her husband Max’s death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max; same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose; he could be Max’s long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well.

As outrageous as Paolo’s claims seem; how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn’t he looked her up? Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down; if it is really Max and along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max’s stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her “happily ever after.” And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to.

Review: Shelley Gallus is a young woman desperately trying to adjust to life as a widow after her husband, Max’s, sudden death. If that brief description sounds anything like a typical tale of love and loss, let me tell you, this story is anything but typical. When Shelley is visited by Paolo, a man who claims to be the grandson of Max, the twists and turns of this story begin. BEFORE EVER AFTER marks the debut of author Samantha Sotto, an exciting new voice in literature. What is exceptional about this book is that it takes the reader on a completely unexpected journey with hints of magical realism but at the same time tells a story filled with philosophical outlooks on life, love and death. This is an emotionally intriguing and thought-provoking tale told through the beautiful imagination of Sotto. BEFORE EVER AFTER is filled with suspenseful twists that will keep you guessing and keep you hooked until the very last page. What an exciting debut by a truly gifted storyteller.