Me Before you:
Jojo Moyes
26 year old
Lou loses her “going nowhere but that’s how she likes it” job at The Buttered
Bun café in the shadows of the “castle” in her tiny hometown. She is a bit
eccentric, misunderstood by her family and personal trainer boyfriend, Patrick,
and utterly unambitious.
She
unexpectedly lands a job as personal carer for Will Traynor, who became a
quadriplegic following a traffic accident. Will is wealthy, young and very successful
and is now left angry depressed and resentful as a result.
Me Before You is the story of how two
people can heal some wounds, but there are others that can never be healed. It
challenges our right to choose how we live or don’t live our lives. I found it
poignant and I was a bit surprised at the power of its conclusion. I don’t
think I am giving anything away when I say that it is clear from the outset
that Lou is going to be good for Will, but it turns out that it is not as
simple as all that. Lou has her own demons – even more than the hateful sister,
the clueless boyfriend and her inability to look beyond the here and now. Will
and Lou’s relationship is not just about her helping him, but him helping her
realise there is more to life – there are good reasons to live and live well.
I was
fascinated with some of the ideas in the book – particularly the need to live a
big life – or maybe just not lead a small one, and what is left for you if your
big life is suddenly reduced to nothing? Is it worth continuing and how can you
make peace with that? There is plenty to discuss!
It is a book
that won’t win any major literary awards but I read it practically in one
sitting and it was utterly engrossing, culminating in tears at the end. Great
beach read, there is some witty dialogue and Lou has some truly funny moments –
I love her stripy tights and crazy wardrobe.
Give it a
try. I’d love to know if you liked it too?
