Me Before You made Jojo Moyes a household name. If you've not read this heartbreaking love story, or if you've read it and loved it but don't know which is Jojo's books to read next, here's the Good Housekeeping guide to her best novels.
Her legions of fans worldwide love her books for their mix of humour and heartbreak, romance and drama and also their relatable characters. She isn't afraid to tackle difficult topics like poverty or assisted suicide, but writes about them with the lightest of touches. Here's where to start....
We All Live Here
Controversial, I know, but I think this most recent book of Jojo’s is her best. This family drama is warm, funny and peopled with fantastic characters that live beyond the pages. Lila is juggling two stroppy daughters, a career as a writer of confessional memoirs and a ramshackle house that's falling down around her ears. Then her semi-famous dad, who she hasn’t seen in 35 years, appears on her doorstep…
The Giver Of Stars
I loved this adventure story for girls for its plucky female characters and wonderful descriptions of the Appalachian Mountains landscape. When young Englishwoman Alice Wright moves to Kentucky during the Great Depression to marry a wealthy American, she’s a real fish out of water. It's only when she joins a gutsy gang of horseback librarians who distribute books to the poor that she finds the friendship and freedom she craves.
Me Before You
This emotive book has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide - and with good reason. This tale of love-against-the odds between an embittered quadriplegic man and the carer who is trying to give him a reason to live breaks your heart one minute, only to send it soaring again. They are both wonderful characters and you can’t help rooting for them. Keep the tissues close!
The One Plus One
This unlikely love story is in the same spirit as her hugely loved novel, Me Before You, and I think it deserves better recognition for how lovely it is. It’s hate at first sight for struggling single mum Jess and self-made millionaire Ed. But when they’re thrown together on a road trip across the country – along with Jess’ sweetly geeky daughter, teenage step-son and smelly dog – a friendship flourishes between them. Except Jess hasn’t been totally honest with Ed… A funny, sweet and tender portrait of modern life in Britain, that covers some tough issues with the lightest of touches.
The Girl You Left Behind
Emotional novels populated by loveable, believable characters are what Jojo Moyes does best. In The Girl You Left Behind two young women, separated by a century, both face a difficult decision. This is a hugely enjoyable and moving novel, which explores the guilt, betrayal and grand passions occasioned by the First World War.
Michael Joseph Books After You by Jojo Moyes
After You
After You by Jojo Moyes
Jojo hadn’t planned to write a sequel to Me Before You but after requests from the book’s many, many fans, she’s picked up the story of Lou and Will again. In After You, Lou is swamped by grief and struggling to get through the days – until a teenage girl claiming to be Will’s daughter turns up on her doorstep. This book ticks every box: lots of laughs, big emotions and a loveable heroine you really root for.
Still Me
The engaging heroine of Me Before You returns for the third time. In Still Me, Lou Clark moves to New York to be PA to a trophy wife. She’s hoping to reinvent herself but the insecurities of the past remain with her, and her boss is a nightmare. The storytelling treads the delicate balance between heartbreak and hope perfectly – with a splash of humour to keep it real.
Someone Else's Shoes
This has everything you want from a Jojo Moyes novel: strong female characters you really empathise with and that careful balance between poignancy and humour she does so well. Two women’s lives become entangled when put-upon wife Sam picks up wealthy Nisha’s bag at the gym one day. This warm, funny novel is a love letter to the strength of female friendship and how women can really be there for each other.
Ship Of Brides
After World War II ended, more than 600 Australian brides are traveling to join their husbands in England. The novel follows four young women on their journey as they form friendships and secrets are revealed. A hugely satisfying read, it's full of romance and emotion
The Last Letter From Your Lover
Spanning 40 years, this is the story of two women: Ellie, a journalist who finds an intriguing letter in her paper's archives; and Jennifer, who wakes up from an accident unable to remember anything, until a hidden letter triggers memories of the lover she was prepared to give everything up for. This beautifully written of lost love really tugs at the heart strings.
