Love by the Book
A Novel
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- ¥1,700
発行者による作品情報
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER • A New York Times Most Anticipated Book of Spring • "A beautiful and all-too-rare look at the importance of platonic love." —Kirkus Reviews (starred)
Friendship is the love story you can count on.
Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone—and unable to find her next book idea.
Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn't have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family—but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.
When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for—if only they can let each other in.
Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life—and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
George (Maame) chronicles the unexpected and fraught friendship of two London women in her sharp latest. Novelist Remy Baidoo, 30, has never had much interest in traditional romance, garnering all the support and love she needs from her friend group, who inspired her first book. But as she struggles to write her next novel, the women begin fading from her life. In contrast, schoolteacher Simone Beduah, 29, has convinced herself she doesn't need friends. Then her religious family disowns her after discovering she's also a sex worker. When they run into each other at a literary event, Remy, whose inclination to overshare runs on overdrive, forms an unlikely bond with quiet introvert Simone. As their friendship deepens, Remy discovers she's pregnant from a one-night stand despite being told earlier by a doctor that she can't get pregnant, and Simone realizes Remy has secretly been writing about their friendship. The revelations force both women to make tough decisions about trust and their futures. While some of the plot turns feel too convenient, George offers a fresh perspective on female friendship, showing that "platonic love can be incredibly romantic." Fans of the author's celebrated debut will find much to enjoy.
