Every Story Is a Love Story: A Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers and How Beautiful We Were, a captivating novel about love lost—and the weight of regret
“Every Story Is a Love Story is a deeply moving, beautifully told novel about grief, regret, anger, forgiveness, and the insistent resilience of the human heart. Imbolo Mbue’s generosity on the page is breathtaking.”—Patrick Ryan, author of Buckeye
What if I’d never gotten into that car? What if I’d pulled out of the driveway five minutes earlier, or ten minutes later?
Three years ago, Wolo’s wife was killed in a tragic car accident. In an instant, the great love of his life was gone, and so was their beautiful future. In the face of a loss that seemed insurmountable, Wolo has slowly rebuilt a semblance of a life: he goes to work, hangs out with a small circle of friends, and fends off the matchmaking efforts of the older women in his family. The grief that dogged him has, with time, become a little gentler.
Until a letter arrives one day, unbidden, threatening to upend his life once again. It is from Victoria, the woman who was behind the wheel that terrible day. Wolo’s family pastor tells him the letter is the work of the devil; his mother expressly forbids him from making further mention of it; his father’s second wife calls, from Cameroon, to tell him to destroy it. But Wolo ponders it for days, and ultimately agrees to meet with the woman who killed his wife. When he does, the compassion and deep remorse of the woman affects him in ways he had never imagined, and he begins to wonder if the long road to healing can be shared.
What do we owe to those who have hurt us? Are we defined by our worst moments and our deepest regrets? And, more than anything, can forgiveness ease our suffering? Moving and full of life, Every Story Is a Love Story charts the uneven path from heartbreak to healing.
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Community Reviews
This book will leave you thinking what you might do in Wolo's situation. This is a book about love, forgiveness, and the ups and downs of strong family connections, steeped in cultural history. Wolo's family came to NY from Cameroon and he goes back there every year to visit with extended family members and celebrate their traditions.
Soon he meets Yoma, falls in love, and they get married. She is beloved by his family and soon is pregnant with twins, the first grandchildren. One day she is out jogging and is struck and killed by a car. Wolo has been grieving for years, until one day he receives a letter from Victoria, the woman who was driving the car, asking if he'd like to meet. They are both broken people, and she's hoping that talking about it will bring her and Wolo some peace. This is where the debate gets heated as his family is adamant that he not associate at all with this woman as she murdered their family. Wolo wavers back and forth as he does want to hear what happened to his wife from someone who was there. He wants closure, which is understandable. He's been so unhappy, he thinks this might give him some solace, and it doesn't, until it does.
This would make a great book club discussion book as there are so many secrets different family members are hiding from the matriarch and afraid to confront her or go against her wishes. Should you respect the family at all costs, to the detriment of your own happiness, or decide to open your heart again to someone new and grant forgiveness? It takes a rare person who would be willing to do this, and there is great character development here between Wolo, his sisters, his 2 mothers, and brothers. It's slow paced, but beautifully written with descriptions of the Cameroon customs and personalities that comprise this large extended family. Lots of family dynamics, bad choices, and difficult decisions are made, but you are hoping that Wolo does what's best for himself, for after all, he deserves to be happy.
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