What happens when you fall hard for your fallback? In this luminous love story, a young woman who’s spent years traveling the globe to outrun her own grief faces a momentous decision on her 33rd birthday . . .
A moving story about wanderlust, loss, hope, and the special magic of finding love in unexpected places—at just the right time - for readers of Elena Armas, Emily Henry and Mia Sosa, from the acclaimed author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club Pick Furia.
All Stevie Choi ever wanted was a cozy life in suburbia—a loving husband, adorable kids, a dog. That simple dream shattered into a million pieces when she was only seventeen. She’s spent the years since trying to outrun the pain and make something of herself, if only to prove to her estranged family that she’s happy and successful—even though she’s secretly yearning for another chance at love. If only she believed she deserved it . . .
So, Stevie drowns herself in her job, and in the low season, “dates” new countries, leaving her Utah home-base to circle the globe, from Paris to Cairo to Cabo San Lucas, curating a gorgeous Instagram feed—while spending every New Year alone. Then one frigid January day in Rome she meets Cristian. He would be her perfect match—if they weren’t separated by continents and obligations. Unable to say goodbye, they agree that if they’re both single at seventy, they’ll marry each other if only to have a fun companion to travel with . . . But through the years, their friendship grows into something more, and suddenly it’s up to Stevie to choose happiness . . .
Sparkling with hope, All Roads Lead to Rome soulfully examines all the ways a tender heart can be broken—and how faith in the future—and in oneself—can make it whole again . . .
★ "Unfurls in bouts of profound tragedies and hopeful triumphs, all wonderfully presented in Méndez’s rich, lyrical prose... A fierce, timely, and beautifully executed ode to artistic expression imbued with a spirit of optimism."― Kirkus (starred)“Méndez adeptly draws readers into the lived experience of the people from this time period. She beautifully captures the ambience [and] conveys the sense of terror that so many people felt and their desire for a more hopeful future… Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction that explores themes of authoritarianism and social upheaval with an ensemble cast of characters.”― School Library Journal“Raw and heartbreaking… a haunting, morally urgent tale of art, resistance, and memory.”― Publishers Weekly“Emotional, timely… Méndez’s touchpoints of Argentina’s history...create an intense landscape she peoples with a rich community of fully fleshed-out characters whose interactions highlight the importance of bearing witness, caring for others, and fighting back while living in an increasingly authoritarian regime.”
― Horn Book
“Poignant… complex… There is a lyrical grace to this novel, even when awful things are being described, that befits a novel built around the power of music to both disrupt and heal… the cost of resistance is often distressingly high, a fact that contemporary teens may find just as haunting and powerful as the young members of Río Babel fifty years ago.” ― Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“Méndez constructs a tragic, heart-wrenching story within a story that delves into resistance, resilience, and the power of song. The characters are complex and sympathetic, which makes some of their fates painful yet galvanizing. This is for readers who welcome books that confront tragedy, especially fans of historical fiction, music, and fighting authoritarianism.” ― Booklist
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Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) is an Argentine-American author. She’s the mother of 5 kids and 2 adorable dogs. Yamile’s an inaugural Walter Dean Meyers Grant recipient, a graduate of Voices of our Nation (VONA) and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Writing for Children program.
