Why Can't I Be You

At one time or another, everyone has wished they could be someone else. Exploring this universal longing, Allie Larkin follows up the success of her debut novel, Stay, with a moving portrait of friendship and identity.

When Jenny Shaw hears someone shout “Jessie!” across a hotel lobby, she impulsively answers. All her life, Jenny has toed the line, but something propels her to seize the opportunity to become Jessie Morgan, a woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. Lonely in her own life, Jenny is embraced by Jessie’s warm circle of friends—and finds unexpected romance. But when she delves into Jessie’s past, Jenny discovers a secret that spurs her to take another leap into the unknown.

“Brilliant…. It’s not until we’ve let go of who we think we should be that we can discover who we actually are.” —Amy Hatvany, author of Outside the Lines

“Allie Larkin’s latest explores an intriguing question: What if you could shed your own life, and step into someone else’s? Why Can’t I Be You is a thoughtful and compulsively readable examination of identity, friendship, and trust—and what happens when all three spectacularly collide.” —Sarah Pekkanen, author of These Girls