J Cotter

All the Roads J Cotter

Publisher Marketing: "It has been so long since we've seen each other... It seems silly that we can't, you know, chat and catch up." She tried to play at being casual and nonchalant, looking calmly in his direction. "No," Jay replied slowly, "it isn't silly at all." On a rainy spring morning, Jay stops for coffee in a small Alaskan town. The last thing he ever expects is to see her, after almost 18 months of silence between them. As he fumbles for words, he realizes that she, unlike anyone else, has the power to render him speechless. All The Roads offers a thoughtful glimpse into the delicate nature of a developing relationship, as well as the fallout that comes with misperceptions and unmet expectations. Told as a series of poignant moments intermixed with vivid memories, All The Roads reads both as a novel as well as a series of short stories. The stories are interwoven carefully, moving backwards and forwards in time, culminating in a multifaceted novel. From the onset of the novel, it is clear that Jay and Elle have a past; running into each other haplessly leaves them both feeling winded and uncomfortable. Elle continues on from Alaska to a rented apartment in Maine, where she is set to begin working on a small film. Jay leaves for Anchorage before heading back to California. Their distance is minimized, however, by a constant flow of memories and thoughts, both of which hauntingly intertwine the two of them. Jay and Elle met at a Christmas party almost six years prior to their awkward Alaskan run-in, immediately recognizing in the other a fellow introvert seeking a break from the hum of the party. When they part ways the following morning, each feels an odd tug to stay with the other. Brushing it off, they separate with plans to see each other in June with a group of friends for a summer road trip. Their relationship, which begins slowly as a powerful and intense friendship, ends abruptly, shocking them both with its finality and loss. All The Roads offers a unique perspective on a relationship in the modern world, pairing important turning points in Jay and Elle's past with crucial moments in their present. Readers are invited to contemplate the complexity of all relationships, as well as the role we play in keeping our relationships genuine and fulfilling.