Sunlight Finds You: A Novel

Sunlight Finds You: A Novel

A forbidden love blows open the world of a teenage girl, altering the trajectory of her life–from the author of the New York Times bestseller The Chaperone " Radiant...What begins as a teenage romance in 1950s Florida becomes an intimate, deeply moving story of separation, sacrifice, and self-determination — and of how early love shapes the lives we carry forward." —Christina Baker Kline "A cancel-your-plans, hold-your-breath, call-your-best-friend kind of book." —Amy Jo Burns "Illuminates the beguiling power of first love through characters whose teenage choices precipitate lifelong consequences." —Sarah McCoy “The kind of book that makes you lean closer, then hold your breath as the beauty and betrayal unfold. I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t stop hoping. What an extraordinary novel!” —Ariel Lawhon It’s 1949, early in the Cold War, but St. Petersburg, Florida is warm, lush, and booming with newcomers seeking sunshine and opportunity. For seventeen-year-old Nora, St. Pete feels like paradise, especially after she meets and wins over Leonard, the shy, brilliant son of transplanted New Yorkers. Nora and Leonard are soon spending balmy days and evenings together, and in her adoring, encouraging company, he grows more confident, even as he remains tender and caring. Leonard's sophisticated mother welcomes Nora into their lives, but his father distrusts her motives. When his suspicions are seemingly confirmed, Nora is forced to cut contact. In her longing and fear, she takes a chance that changes her life, exiling her from the family she loves and setting off a chain of secrets and betrayals that will follow her into adulthood. It is a mature Nora who tells the story of her turbulent past. Wiser and more worldly, she commits to an honest but compassionate account, and to a future based on trusting, first and foremost, herself. Sunlight Finds You is, ultimately, a love story set in the past that has much to say about our present. Richly layered and propulsive, it’s a book about extending forgiveness–for ourselves, and for others–and about refusing to settle for a life that is less than full. Praise for Sunlight Finds You “ Sunlight Finds You is a riveting story of young love and battered hope. It's the kind of book that makes you lean closer, then hold your breath as the beauty and betrayal unfold. I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t stop hoping. What an extraordinary novel!” —Ariel Lawhon, New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River " Marks a radiant return to Laura Moriarty’s signature terrain: a young woman at a pivotal moment and the far-reaching consequences of a choice made under pressure. What begins as a teenage romance in 1950s Florida becomes an intimate, deeply moving story of separation, sacrifice, and self-determination — and of how early love shapes the lives we carry forward." —Christina Baker Kline, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan Train "I can't remember the last time I rooted for a character the way I did for Nora in Sunlight Finds You . In an era of rampant sexism, war, and lies, she learns to listen for her own steady voice and follow it. Melodic and daring, this isn't just a good book--it's a cancel-your-plans, hold-your-breath, call-your-best-friend kind of book. An absolutely unmissable triumph." —Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury " Sunlight Finds You illuminates the beguiling power of first love through characters whose teenage choices precipitate lifelong consequences. The story left me breathless with a desire to see these young lovers find a happy ending, while also raising poignant questions about the stigmas dividing families to this day. Laura is one of my must-read authors. Sunlight Finds You proves why she should be yours, too.” —Sarah McCoy, New York Times bestselling author of Marilla of Green Gables Praise for The Chaperone "In this layered and inventive story, Moriarty raises profound questions about family, sexuality, history, and whether it is luck or will—or a sturdy combination of the two—that makes for a wonderful life." —O, The Oprah Magazine "A mesmerizing take on women in this pivotal era."—Vogue "Surprising and poignant." — Entertainment Weekly “Through Cora the world of early 20th-century America comes alive, and her personal triumphs become cause for celebration.” — People "Captivating and wise . . . Moriarty gives us a historically detailed and nuanced portrayal of the social upheaval that spilled into every corner of American life by 1922. . . . inventive and lovely." — Washington Post Laura Moriarty is the author of five other novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Chaperone which was made into a feature film by the creators of Downton Abbey . She lives in Lawrence, Kansas, and is a professor of Creative Writing at the University of Kansas.