Me Before You

Published in 2012, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a romance novel that depicts the unique love story of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. As the title suggests, the novel explores the challenges of balancing one’s autonomy with one’s love for a romantic partner. Ultimately, the quadriplegic Will chooses to honor his autonomy over his love for Louisa and dies by euthanasia. The novel ends with Louisa making peace with Will’s decision and beginning a new life away from her restrictive hometown.

The success of Me Before You led Moyes to continue Louisa’s journey in subsequent novels, After You (2015) and Still Me (2018). In these novels, Moyes continues the theme of the struggle between personal growth and romantic love. In After You, Louisa attempts to recover from Will’s death and balance new opportunities with her attraction for a man named Sam. She also discovers Will’s unknown daughter, Lily, who desires to learn more about her deceased father and the Traynors. When a career opportunity appears, Louisa ultimately chooses to pursue her dreams while attempting to maintain her new relationship with Sam. In Still Me, Louisa continues her journey of self-discovery as she adapts to live in New York City and questions her purpose.