Apparently I missed the memo that everyone read this book last summer and that her new book is about to release. I thought it would be a fun read before I start THE BLUEST EYE, and it was. 

Noelle is a photographer who, after a harsh critique, has given up on her love of photography. Living with her parents, she goes through an old box and finds a photo of her beloved grandmother with a man she doesn’t know. She posts it on TikTok and asks if anyone knows the man. It goes viral and she gets a message from his grandson - who happens to be her high school rival. They end up going on a roadtrip that this man and her grandmother once planned for their honeymoon to a lot of national parks. 

I just went to Yosemite over spring break and had a little road trip of my own, so I enjoyed reliving some of the memories. I loved the way the grandparents seemed to be rooting for them to be together. She and her grandmother played a secret game and I loved how it continued throughout the book. 

“Our Tell Me a Secret game started when I was old enough to have any. We traded secrets like currency, always an even-steven deal.
…
“…she was my secret-keeper, my living diary.” P13

“Theo keeps his shirt off the entire meal. It’s obscene. My eyeballs hurt from the strain of not looking.” Ch 5

“We realized that first impressions don’t dictate what the final impression will be.” Ch 6

“knew a lot about her, but only through the lens of my own life, if that makes sense. Getting to know this part of her—her story with you—is like meeting her all over again.” P 242

“Remember, nothing lasts forever. You have to hold on to the good things, knowing you may be on borrowed time with them. And with the bad, recognize that eventually it will pass.” P285