We Are the Light by Matthew Quick

LIFE IS FULL OF GUARDIAN ANGELS.

Lucas Goodgame lives in Majestic, Pennsylvania, a quaint suburb that has been torn apart by a recent tragedy. Everyone in Majestic sees Lucas as a hero—everyone, that is, except Lucas himself. Insisting that his deceased wife, Darcy, visits him every night in the form of an angel, Lucas spends his time writing letters to his former Jungian analyst, Karl. It is only when Eli, an eighteen-year-old young man whom the community has ostracized, begins camping out in Lucas’s backyard that an unlikely alliance takes shape and the two embark on a journey to heal their neighbors and, most important, themselves.

From Matthew Quick, the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, We Are the Light is an unforgettable novel about the quicksand of grief and the daily miracle of love. The humorous, soul-baring story of Lucas Goodgame offers an antidote to toxic masculinity and celebrates the healing power of art. In this tale that will stay with you long after the final page is turned, Quick reminds us that guardian angels are all around us—sometimes in the forms we least expect. 

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published November 1st 2022 

by Avid Reader Press / Simon Schuster

4/5 stars

This was my first Book of the Month pick (welcome to Canada BOTM), and I went in completely blind.  The cover is enticing, the buzz was positive, so how could I say no.

Told through a series of letters written by a man named Marcus, the story slowly reveals the life he has lived since a tragedy occurred the previous year. Marcus sends letters to his former analyst as he grapples with his grief and guilt. 

Enter 18-year-old Eli, who begins camping out in Marcus's backyard, and together they embark on a journey of healing.

This book is difficult to review; it wasn't until the end that I fully understood the story and the journey Marcus was on. But it wasn't just his journey of healing, but that of so many others. This book is a powerful exploration of the healing process, and how it can be achieved through the support of others.

I'm glad I grabbed this book, it's one that will stay with me for awhile.

This book was part of my 2022 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.