Where to start reading Jojo Moyes
Curious about Someone Else's Shoes? We’ve rounded up Jojo Moyes' best books to get you hooked on a writer at the top of her game
Jojo Moyes has been capturing the romance, warmth and drama of everyday lives for more than 20 years, after her first novel Sheltering Rain was released in 2002. Since then, she's gone on to write 14 more novels which have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Moyes once told The Guardian that she was "curious about what happens to those people struggling to get somewhere in a society that increasingly tells them they can’t succeed, where the odds are stacked against them", and with characters as memorable - and lovable - as Me Before You's Lou Clarke, she's put ordinary people on the page in a way that has kept readers rapt.
But how to delve into such a rich back catalogue? Should you start in a particular fashion, or follow characters in the order they were published? Below we suggest a way through. While Moyes has delved into both modern life and historical landscapes - The Giver of Stars looks to rural America in the 1930s, while The Girl You Left Behind is based in France in 1916 - her ability to channel human grit, persistence and courage flows throughout her novels, with both heartbreaking and uplifting results. Her latest novel, Someone Else's Shoes, builds on Moyes' unique ability to capture ordinary womanhood into a novel that will change how readers see the stranger standing next to them.
If you've never read any Jojo Moyes, now is a great time to start. Here are our top picks of her glittering back catalogue:
Me Before You (2012)
If you fancy going back to the classics, there really isn’t a more obvious place to start than the book that sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Me Before You is the story of Lou Clark, a girl who, despite having zero ambition, has the most optimistic outlook on life. Her wicked sense of humour and quirky dress sense - think charity shop chic - ensured readers rooted for her from page one. When Lou starts a new job caring for Will Traynor - a wealthy, young banker left paralysed from the neck down - she finds her optimism challenged by Will's anger and frustration. As they fall in love, they attempt to find new meaning for their lives. Fortunately for die-hard fans, Moyes continued Lou’s story in two more books: After You and, next: Still Me.
Paris for One (2017)
If, after reading the Me Before You trilogy, you are still suffering from the loss of Lou, this book of short stories might be just the thing to dip in and out of. It is a charming collection exploring troubled relationships, young love and missed opportunities, from Nell, who’s boyfriend abandons her before their romantic trip to Paris, to Beth, who faces a difficult decision when she bumps into her ex at a party with her husband. Each story puts the female voice front and centre making it a book that every woman in - or out of love - will relate to.
The Girl You Left Behind (2012)
One of the short stories in Paris for One is a dual-narrative of Sophie and Liv who are both in the early days of their marriages only a century apart. It acts as a prequel for the next book on this list of Moyes' must-reads: The Girl You Left Behind. The story begins in France, 1916 where Sophie Lefevre fights for survival as her husband fights for his life on the front and continues 100 years later with Liv Halston, who is given a portrait of Sophie only to discover its dark past by chance. This is Moyes at her exhilarating best as the reader - alongside Liv - piece the clues together to find out Sophie’s fate.
The Giver of Stars (2019)
If you are in the mood for adventure and want to linger in the historical-fiction genre, The Giver of Stars is Moyes’ is perfect for readers who are looking for a story with plenty of feel-good female friendship who also love talking about books. Set in the wild Appalachian mountains of Kentucky in the 1930s, a band of women enrol to a new library project to deliver books to remote communities on horseback. But when a body is unearthed on a snowy mountainside and their library is accused of distributing inappropriate material, the town starts to turn against them.
The One Plus One (2014)
Return to a contemporary setting with a female lead who deserves just as much love as Lou Clark. Jess is a single mum who, against the odds, is somehow keeping it together. Enter Ed - who has his own problems after his company and the millions he’s made are in jeopardy. As their two, polar opposite worlds collide, they discover that together, they might just make it. The One Plus One is a story about the fight for survival, and the importance of second chances.