Before I Met You
Written by Lisa Jewell
The story of Before I Met You begins with 10-year-old Betty meeting her stepfather’s mother for the first time. Arlette De La Mare, Betty’s Grandmother, has fallen and needs a live in caretaker. Betty and her mother move in for what turns out to be longer than the initial 3-month agreement. Betty gives up dating, going to parties, and going to the university to care for her eccentric grandmother until her death.
Arlette’s will included a Claire Pickle that no one in the family knew anything about. A London address is provided and Betty volunteers to search for this elusive and mysterious person. She moves to London, finds a job, and begins her search. Who or what will she find along her journey?
Author Lisa Jewel switches between time periods of the 1920’s of Arlette’s youth and the present era of Betty’s. With Jewel’s descriptions, we feel as if we’re there with both of these women in their respective times. Although there is a span of 70 years between these two very different, young women, we are drawn to the similarities that can exist between the generations. These include love, happiness, and finding one’s own way in life. The secrets of Arlette’s past have a way of helping Betty find her own happiness in the present. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
LB
