Meghan at River Bookshop
I’ve been trying to figure out why, years after reading it for the first time, I still think about the scenes and characters in Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. There are some obvious reasons. It’s an edgy coming-of-age novel. It’s a friendship story. It’s about smart outsiders. It is, oddly, a comfort book, which is a slippery category. In this case, it offers a way back by acknowledging the lonely world, and offering friendship there, as an act of rebellion, and as a fine defiance. In a time with seemingly insane moments, comfort books might be redefining sanity and holding a place for us there.
I recently talked with one of my favorite booksellers, Meghan Desjardins, writer and lead bookseller at River Bookshop in the waterside town of Amherstburg, Ontario, about what gives Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow such staying power, selling over a million copies globally since its 2022 debut. T3 is one of Meghan’s favorite books.
Meghan offers some fine thoughts.
- It was so good to talk with you at River Bookshop about our mutual appreciation for Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Why do you think the book resonates with so many different people?
It was so nice talking with you about this book, too. I’m always pleasantly surprised to meet other fans of the book, because I’m usually caught off guard, for one reason or another: either we have different tastes in books, occupy different demographics, or something else. I feel like the book has such a wide appeal, and that’s something that always impresses me from any work of art. To be honest, I think I’m still trying to crack the code on how T3 does it. But I know that Sam & Sadie’s friendship is at the heart of it all. I also think there are so many poignant moments, many of which I still think about years later. The emotions and the visuals are rendered so vividly that they become extremely memorable for many people.
- I love that the book is about a friendship that lasts through the wins, defeats, and differences. They both judge each other, but the judgment isn’t as strong as their mutual respect and bond. Why is this book’s take on friendship so important?
For me, one of the reasons this book’s take on friendship is so important is because it’s the anchor of the entire story, and there are so few novels that centre around non-romantic relationships, especially between men and women, with this kind of depth. It’s refreshing to see a story about friendship and artistic partnership above all else, and I personally really appreciate seeing those in the spotlight. I’ve heard many other readers echo this sentiment, so I know I’m not alone.
- In my recent reading, I was drawn to the steady pace of the narration and structure. It has a calm but compelling quality that feels oddly comforting. Do you think this comes from the characters, their inner voices? Or is it something else?
That’s really interesting, since I’ve only read it one time—which is very common for me with books—but I think I felt that pace when I did. I experienced it in the form of the audiobook, which I listened to steadily on my commute for a few weeks. It was a story I was always eager to return to every day, because it was, as you say, oddly comforting. The close proximity we get to the characters and their inner voices could definitely be part of this, as well as the steady tense and release of the emotional beats.
- Are there any other books you would recommend that have stayed with you in a similar way?
There are a few I’d recommend that have at least one element in common with T3: Automatic Noodle, for the friendship, and for working on a shared goal together; A Tale for the Time Being, for the unconventional connection between people, the poignancy, and the emotional pace of the story; Toward Eternity, for its connection between technology and humanity, and the idea of a communal project; and anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid, whose books also have an incredibly wide appeal. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo impresses me so much, as both a reader and a bookseller, because there are just so many ways into the story.
You can find out more about Meghan Desjardins and River Bookshop at:
https://riverbookshop.com/?variant=48339541524735
We’d love to know: what are some of your favorite books that offer unique comfort or compelling friendship?
