Matthew Quick

From Matthew Quick, the New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook--made into the Academy Award-winning movie starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper--comes a poignant and hopeful novel about a widower who takes in a grieving teenager and inspires a magical revival in their small town.

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 importantly, themselves.

From Matthew Quick, whose work has been described by the Boston Herald as "like going to your favorite restaurant. You just know it is going to be good," 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 life is full of guardian angels.

We Are the Light

Katelyn 

You can’t just pick and choose when it comes to healing. We must heal all who wish to be whole, and we must do so completely, thoroughly, and with the entirety of our souls.

Kristen Claiborn

I woke up on the day before Thanksgiving in 2022 to news of a mass shooting at a Walmart in Virginia. Six people lost their lives. This was preceded by a mass shooting at an LQBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where five unfortunate victims lost their lives. The reality for those of us that live in the gun-obsessed United States of America includes daily stories of lives lost to senseless gun violence. We hear story after story of who died and why it was such a tragedy, but nothing seems to ever be done to curb the gun violence. After every high-profile mass shooting, gun sales skyrocket, meaning more of those death machines are in the hands of potential mass shooters. There is no end in sight. 
	While we frequently know all there is to know about the victims who lost their lives, we don’t always get much of a picture of the survivors. Sure, we get their frantic retellings of the events, but there is rarely any follow-up. We don’t know what their lives are like while they tread the waters of society following such a traumatic event. Matthew Quick tackled that very subject with this book. This book is written as a series of letters from Lucas, whose wife was killed in a shooting at a local, famed movie theater, to his former analyst, Karl, who also lost his wife in that shooting. Lucas and Karl were both in the theater and survived the ordeal. Karl appears to have become a recluse following the murder of his wife, and Lucas doesn’t know how to heal without the assistance of his analyst. Eli, the brother of the shooter, is also a prominent character, who is deeply troubled and feels like he shoulders the blame for his brother’s actions. Eli and Lucas join forces and come up with a plan to help the rest of the survivors heal and bring the movie theater back to its former popularity. 
	This book felt like it was written by somebody who had first-hand experience. Quick was able to portray the emotions of each character with intensity that was almost overwhelming. It is clear that Quick did extensive research, which isn’t always easy when digging into the morbid world of mass shootings. His efforts shine through on every page, almost in every sentence. His portrayal of the survivors was heart wrenching, but at the same time it showed how communities come together to help each other heal. As I finished this book and finally turned over the last page, I had tears streaming down my face. This is extremely rare for me, I avoid emotional responses like crying (ok, I really just avoid crying), so I was impressed with Quick’s ability to provoke such strong emotions for me. This is an outstand tale of survival and healing, and who to not blame for a tragedy.

This book has all the trigger warnings. It’s told epistolary style as a survivor of a mass shooting tries to heal. It’s heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful and has a beautiful ending. It explores all the complexities of an unthinkable tragedy and I highly recommend it.

We Are the Light

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