Before Ever After: A Novel

A young widow embarks on a globe-spanning quest to discover the truth about her late husband in the dazzling first novel, full of heart and magical realism, from the bestselling author of Water Moon.

“A highly original and engaging mix of romance, mystery, and magic that will challenge everything you think you know about happily ever after.”—Jill Smolinski, author of The Next Thing on My List

Three years after her husband Max’s death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max that he could be his long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that his grandfather, who looks just like Max, though he seemingly hasn’t aged a day, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well.

As outrageous as Paolo’s claims seem—how could her husband be alive? And how does he look identical in those photographs from decades ago?—Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down—if it is really Max. Along the way, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was. As she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to.