"The Light We Lost" Instilled The Light Back In Me

Have you ever had the very layers of your heart stripped? Well, be prepared to have the very nature of your soul get crushed in The Light We Lost.

The story starts at Columbia University where two students meet on a day that has forever shaped and changed New York City, September 11th. In the very moments of destruction, Gabe and Lucy are ignited with a strong desire to live life to the fullest. However, certain external factors keep them apart until Gabe runs into Lucy (on her BIRTHDAY at that) years later.... It seems as though that stars have aligned, and it is fate they've crossed paths. But oh, if only it was THAT EASY....

Lucy is a producer for a children's TV show and Gabe is a photographer in New York City. While being a photographer in NYC is amazing, Gabe feels unfulfilled and wants to make a difference in the world. He decides to tell Lucy he's moving to the Middle East for a full-time job opportunity. He tries to convince Lucy to go but she tells him she cannot let go of her dreams just, so he can fulfill his. On top of it all, he tells her this the night she wins a goddamn EMMY for her successful TV series. In short, he moves to the Middle East, she ends up finding a different kind of love in the Hamptons (lol).

Written as a dual narration with a single point-of-view, Lucy writes about their 13 year "love story." Fair warning, it's a love story filled with jealousy, deceit, passion, love, resentment, masochism, and infatuation. Not to mention, Lucy is "happily" married with her husband, Darren, who's honestly a decent man... Sure he lets you down when he says stupid things that discredit her career, but he's loyal, caring, thoughtful, and romantic. Darren ON PAPER looks great but he doesn't fuel the spiritual and intellectual fire Lucy seeks (that's New York City for you). But, if you sit back, remove your emotional connection to the characters, you'll see that the style of writing is mentally manipulating. Darren is constantly portrayed as being super vanilla to justify Gabe's lively content of character. In theory, Gabe is a great guy whose mental stimulation could spark any sapiosexual's fire; however, he’s a selfish, self-absorbed, insecure and pretentious guy who has led Lucy's heart on for 13 years, THIRTEEN!! For God's sake, he doesn't talk to her for a while and calls her *surprisingly enough* on her WEDDING day to confide in her after he hasn't spoken to her in 1.5 years, then a decade later, he finds the need to hit on a married woman who moved on after he broke her heart and thinks it's okay to convince her to leave all that she's built (a successful career, a marriage, and two kids) to be with him because she is his "light." Okay, I got a little angry there, but, you have to feel my sense of rage for the sequence of events that happened. And poor Darren who has no idea of what's going on. The guy is even cool with her being friends with him because he trusts her (but he doesn't trust him, go figure)... Darren may be annoying, but he is as loyal, dedicated, and sweet as can be. Does Lucy know what a rarity that is to find in NEW YORK CITY?!?

But I will say, the fire that Gabe ignites in Lucy is unheard of. It's everything a bibliophile dreams of. The way he recites Shakespeare's sonnets to her, the way he photographs her and creates metaphorical masterpieces of her in his art exhibits, and the way he pays attention to the most minute details of her soul.... It's touching really. There's an emotional spark than runs through your very veins when you read how Lucy describes Gabe. To be honest, the way she loves him hurts. It reminds you of the pain you endured when you've lost your first love...Love is a complicated thing. There is lot of giving and taking and a hell of a lot of goddamn heartbreak; however, it makes me question, does a fiery love have to be full of such dramatics for it to be real? Does love have you chasing the ends of the earth? Does love make you sacrifice the livelihood of your own mental sanity just so your 'lover' has the mere satisfaction that you'll "always be there."

With the introduction of the book itself, you know immediately that something significant is going to happen and there's an ample amount of significance that happens throughout these 300 pages... The Light We Lost enraged me, it made me cry, and it made me question the very meaning of dreams, love, pursuit, and loyalty.... And that's how I know that this book was a great one. If an author can evoke an emotion or make you feel something, they've done their job.

For anyone who's looking for an immersive read, I highly suggest "The Light We Lost." Fair warning: you will not be able to put the book down once you've picked it up. Trust me, I finished this in one day.

Now for my favorite quote in the entire book:

"Love does that. It makes you feel infinite and invincible, like the whole world is open to you, anything is achievable, and each day will be filled with wonder. Maybe it's the act of opening yourself up, letting someone else in—or maybe it's the act of caring so deeply about another person that it expands your heart."

#books #fiction #novel