Octavian Munroe is haunted by the life and death of his older brother and Mina Rose has never quite fit in. Once lovers, now estranged, they both left their hometown of St. Louis for fresh starts in the wake of grief and heartbreak.

Octavian and Mina travel homeward in the aftermath of the tragedy in search of answers. They seek out the music that once gave their hearts a steady beat and their lives a sense of direction. But the record shop where they fell in love as teenagers is closing for good, sparking a desire for closure as well as answers.

This raw, powerful story of love and loss reckons with how fear shapes even the most fleeting collisions between friends, neighbors, and strangers.

A beautifully written book.

In her novel, There You Are, Mathea Morais, explores what it means to be a Person of Colour (POC) in the United States today. Her story of two star-crossed lovers, Octavian and Mina Rose, examines how POCs and whites view each other through the lens of both history and current affairs. Morais has an encyclopedic knowledge of American discography, and uses music as the background to her novel, which is partially set in a St. Louis record store which specializing in vinyl.

There is so much going on in this novel that you will find yourself re-reading parts of it. If you were affected, in any way whatsoever, by the shooting of Micheal Brown by the Ferguson police you will be fascinated by this novel.

I received a free copy of this ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.