A Conversation with Jill Santopolo
Celebrating The Love We Found
Internationally bestselling author Jill Santopolo is back with the long-awaited follow-up to the Reese’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestselling global phenomenon The Light We Lost. The Love We Found is a thrilling love story about the roles fate and choice play in shaping a life. Named a Zibby Owens Most Anticipated Book of the Year, the book has gotten glowing praise from Carley Fortune (“stunning…No one writes about love, in all its beautiful mess, the way Santopolo does”), Annabel Monaghan (“the breathtakingly redemptive love story we’ve been dying for”), and Paige Toon (“An inspirational tale of resilience, and finding peace, joy and love after devastating grief and loss”). We’re pleased for the chance to speak with Jill about The Love We Found which Putnam published on March 18th.
It’s been nearly ten years since Gabe’s been gone when Lucy finds a slip of paper in a box of his old photos with an address in Rome. Why did Gabe keep it, and what was he doing in Italy? Lucy impulsively buys a last-minute ticket to Rome where she meets Dr. Dax Armstrong, a New Yorker in Italy working with an NGO. His broad shoulders and sad, intense eyes draw Lucy in. His touch reaches her in a forgotten place—one that no one has neared since Gabe. That’s a bit of what the book is about. Can you tell us more? And then, our favorite question on Friends & Fiction, what would you say the book is really about?
After that, Lucy is propelled forward on a journey of healing and discovery—and has to figure out how to convince Darren that a secret they’ve been keeping for ten years should finally be brought to light, even if it might change their world completely. Someone recently called The Love We Found a coming-of-middle-age novel where, in her forties, Lucy finally figures out who she is and who she wants to be.
As far as what it’s really about—to me, this story completes the journey Lucy started in The Light We Lost. One of the biggest themes in that book is the idea of fate vs. free will—how much of our lives we can control, and how much is out of our control. And in this book, she learns to take responsibility for the decisions that are in her control. It’s also about learning how to let go of grief and move on, while embracing how that grief has shaped and changed you.
The Light We Lost was a global phenomenon selling almost a million copies since its publication in 2017, licensed in a stunning thirty-seven territories, and becoming an instant international bestseller upon its release. What’s it like to write a sequel to a book that saw such success? Did you feel a lot of pressure after The Light We Lost?
I felt so much pressure! Over the past eight years, tons of readers have sent me messages asking me what happened to Lucy next, what happened in her marriage, what happened with her children…when I wrote this sequel, I wanted to make sure that the story answered all the questions people asked me over the years. I’m still crossing my fingers and toes that people find this a satisfying sequel to The Light We Lost. I don’t want to disappoint my wonderful readers!
When you first conceived of The Light We Lost, did you always intend to write a sequel? Or did you decide later to revisit Lucy’s story?
I hadn’t intended to write a sequel at all! But I realized pretty early on that people might be interested in one. When I shared the manuscript of The Light We Lost with my sister, before it was even published, the only question she had when she finished it was: What happens next? My editor and I talked about a sequel a few times over the past eight years, and about two years ago she told me she thought it was time to start writing it. My first idea what to write the sequel from Darren’s perspective, but very quickly it became apparent that Lucy should narrate the sequel again, just like she did the first book.
This novel takes us to Rome and you do such a lovely job bringing Italy to life on the page. Why Rome? What research did you have to do to capture this setting so well?
Thank you so much! I really wanted Lucy to find out information about Gabe that she hadn’t known in the first book—to discover a new piece of him after he’s gone. I know how special it feels to hear new stories about people I love who have passed away, and I wanted that for Lucy. So I thought about where Gabe might have gone in the year before he died, and I remembered the heartbreaking news story about a boat refugees from Africa that caught fire off the coast of Lampedusa in 2013. I figured in the world of the book, Gabe would have been there to report on that tragedy, and the address in Rome was the first step to getting Lucy there to follow in Gabe’s footsteps. As far as research, I went to Rome to find the places I wanted Lucy to go so I could describe them—and went to Lampedusa as well and interviewed a number of people on the island.
I saw on Instagram where you asked your readers if they were Team Gabe, Team Lucy or Team Darren. You stated that you've always been Team Lucy and that you wrote The Love We Found to prove it. Can you tell us more about these beloved characters and your inspiration for them? And why are you so solidly Team Lucy?
Lucy was the first character I created for The Light We Lost, and, as is the case in a lot of love triangle stories, I created Gabe and Darren to each satisfy part of who Lucy was, but not all of it. That’s what I think makes the decision—for Lucy and for readers—an interesting one. As far as being Team Lucy, what I’ve always meant by that is that I want her to be happy, and I want her to know that she is enough, with or without a man in her life. That acceptance of herself is a huge part of The Love We Found.
Publishers Weekly calls this novel “tear-jerking romance,” and says, “readers should have tissues at the ready.” Did you set out to make us ugly cry? No, but seriously, how do you capture the deep nuances of love and heartbreak so well on the page? Do you agree with Paige Toon’s assessment that book one broke our heart and this one mends it?
I do agree with Paige’s assessment—and it’s what I hoped would happen when I wrote the sequel. At the end of The Light We Lost, Lucy is left in a really tough spot, and at the end of The Love We Found, we leave her in a much better place. I hoped that the journey in the second book, from that tough spot to the better place would be as healing for readers as it is for Lucy.
As far as how I capture emotion in words—I’m honestly not sure, except that I tend to write about emotions that I’ve experienced, so perhaps it’s the empathy that comes through when I write. I understand these characters’ emotions and can convey them because I’ve been there myself.
Jill, you’re also the author of three successful children's and young-adult series. What’s it like to flex such different creative muscles in the various genres you take on? Do you prefer one over the other?
I love writing stories for all different people—though I don’t necessarily think about age range or genre before I come up with an idea. I find a story I want to tell, and once I have that, then I figure out who it’s for. That question of audience is what guides the rest of the process. And I don’t really prefer one over the other. There are exciting aspects and challenging aspects to writing for each audience—and I enjoy each of them for what they are.
Our community loves to hear about an author’s writing process. So, let’s talk craft. Where do you get your inspiration? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Does your process change based on genre and readership?
My inspiration comes from everywhere—things I’ve experienced, articles I’ve read, people I’ve met, phrases I’ve heard... When I visit elementary schools to talk about writing, I tell kids there that my brain often feels like a blender. I throw in all the ingredients—everything I’ve seen and learned and heard and done—and then it whirls them together, and what comes out is a story. And my process is pretty much the same for any age group I write in. I think I’m somewhere between a plotter and a pantser. I always know the big scenes going in, but don’t necessarily know how I’ll get from one to the next—I say it’s like planning a road trip, where you know which cities you’re going to, but not the roads you’re taking or the hotels you’ll sleep in or the restaurants you’ll find along the way. Having freedom to create within a framework feels good to me; it preserves some spontaneity while also giving me a direction to write in.
Jill, you are the publisher of Philomel Books, a children’s book imprint at Penguin Random House. How does your work as publisher inform and impact your work on the other side of the desk and vice versa?
There are some specific writing tips I picked ups as a children’s book editor that made their way into my adult novels—particularly the idea of writing short chapters that keep readers turning pages. But more than that, I think being on both sides of the desk has given me insight into how the people I’m working with see various situations—as a publisher, I can intimately understand what the writers I work with are experiencing, and as a writer, I can intimately understand what the editor and publisher I work with are experiencing. I think that understanding makes for better communication around a lot of the publishing process, regardless of which hat I’m wearing.
What’s next from Jill Santopolo? More adult books? Kids’ books? YA? All of the above?
Right now I’ve got two kids’ books and an adult book in the works. In 2026, my first picture book, Can You Grow a Striped Banana?, Illustrated by Momoko Abe, will be published. The book is actually one I wrote for a fictional character in The Love We Found, and then it turned into a real book about a mother’s love for her daughter and her reassurance that no matter what she can or can’t do, she’ll always show her daughter how much she loves her. I also have a picture book called My Too Sad Day, illustrated by Lorraine Nam, coming out in 2027. And my next novel for adults, about three sisters who are called back to their family home by their aunt because she wants one of them to inherit the house, should also be out in 2027. That’s the one I’m working on right now—at its core, it’s about family secrets and what they mean to two generations of sisters.
How can our community connect with you online and in person on book tour?
My website, jillsantopolo.com, has an events page that lists all the places I’ll be appearing to talk about my book in person and virtually. I’m also on Instagram at @jillsantopolo and on facebook at /jillsantopoloauthor. (I’ve signed up for Bluesky and am parking my name on X, but I don’t use either of those platforms very much.)
If folks can’t attend one of your in-person events, is there a place where they can obtain signed copies of The Love We Found?
Yes! All of the bookstores I visited on my tour kept signed copies for their stores, so those can be ordered and shipped. And if you want your book personalized, you can order a copy of The Love We Found at The Strand (stranbooks.com) where there’s an option to choose a signed copy of the hardcover from their website. I’ll go over and personalize those orders once I’m home from my tour.
About the Author
JILL SANTOPOLO is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Stars in an Italian Sky, More Than Words, Everything After, and The Light We Lost, which was also a Reese's Book Club pick. Her work has been translated into more than thirty-five languages and has appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Apple, Amazon, and Indiebound bestseller lists. She received a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is also the author of three successful children’s and young-adult series and works as the publisher of Philomel Books. Santopolo travels the world to speak about writing and storytelling. She lives in New York City with her family.
About the Book
The long-awaited follow-up to the Reese’s Book Club pick and New York Times bestselling global phenomenon The Light We Lost: a thrilling love story about the roles fate and choice play in shaping a life.
It’s been ten years. In case you’re out there somewhere. In case you’re listening, I’m here. And I have so much to tell you.
It’s been nearly ten years since Gabe’s been gone when Lucy finds a tiny piece of paper in a box of his old photos. An address in Rome. Why did Gabe keep it, and what was he doing in Italy? Lucy buys a last-minute plane ticket. Impulsive, but Gabe always brought that out in her.
Lucy’s journey to uncover Gabe’s secret leads her to Dr. Dax Armstrong, a New Yorker in Italy working with an NGO. His broad shoulders and sad, intense eyes draw Lucy in. His touch reaches her in a forgotten place—one that no one has neared since Gabe.
But her old life awaits, along with an earth-shattering decision—whether she and Darren should tell their son Samuel the truth about his father. How can Lucy move forward while she’s rooted in the past? Fate broke her heart once. Can finding new love set her free?
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I JUST finished during the middle of the night !! SO sad to say goodbye to everyone.. (except Darren)!