NEWS

Laugh, Cry, Find Hope and Joy in the South of France

As April gives way to May, it’s finally starting to feel like spring, and our new Igloo Book Buzz selection, Catherine Isaac’s YOU ME EVERYTHING, published by Pamela Dorman Books/Viking today, is a title best read while relaxing outdoors. Set in the French countryside on an idyllic summer vacation, this beautifully written novel is by turns heart wrenching and hopeful, driven by one woman’s fierce determination to grab hold of the family she has and never let go.

Catherine Isaac, Credit: Deana Kay

“YOU ME EVERYTHING tackles a difficult and at times heartbreaking topic,” said Catherine Isaac, “but I aimed to write with a lightness of touch, to make readers laugh as well as cry, and ultimately deliver an uplifting message. It’s set in the Dordogne in France, where I’ve vacationed since childhood, and I hoped to vividly recreate the sights, sounds and tastes of a region I adore. I’ve come to think of the book as a love story but in the widest definition of the term, because it explores relationships far beyond those of the two main characters, Jess and Adam. YOU ME EVERYTHING is my American debut but I’d been writing under a pseudonym for a decade in the UK before I wrote it. I feel immensely privileged that my writing is now being introduced to US readers and I’m hugely excited to see how it’s received.”

Pam Dorman

Pam Dorman, VP & Publisher, Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, commented, “Catherine Issac was introduced to me by one of the agents I trust most—Sheila Crowley of Curtis Brown, Ltd., who also represents Jojo Moyes. While of course Moyes and Isaac each has her own voice, what attracted me to Isaac was both her ability to create very believable, very relatable characters, especially a mother and son whose relationship seemed utterly real and quite moving to me. In addition, though, I loved the humor with which she infused what could have been an exceptionally sad story. And the setting—the gorgeous French countryside in the Dordogne in the south of France—was pretty hard to resist! Catherine had written a number of other, more conventional books before both Sheila and I took her on, and she was very determined to write a book that was bigger and deeper than any she had written before. She absolutely succeeded—and we worked in conjunction with her long-time UK publisher, Suzanne Baboneau at S & S UK, to bring this book to its richest possible incarnation.”

Fellow authors weigh in with words of praise :

“Glass of chilled rosé, check. Comfy chair, check. Box of tissues, check. YOU ME EVERYTHING is everything you need for a moving, funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately joyous read. Set in one of the world’s most magical places, it’s a story that celebrates the power of love to overcome any fear. You’ll savor this one like an aperitif of socca and wine.” – Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Map of the Heart

“What would you do for the child you love? You Me Everything takes a raw and honest look at one mother’s struggle to forge the best future for her son. A fractured family and a summer in the beautiful French countryside come alive in Catherine Isaac’s capable hands.” – Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

“Wow. Just Wow. If you liked Me Before You, you’ll love YOU ME EVERYTHING. Heartbreakingly beautiful.” – Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author of I Let You Go