Taliah Sahar Abdallat lives and breathes music. Songs have always helped Tal ease the pain of never having known her father. Her mother, born in Jordan and very secretive about her past, won’t say a word about who her dad really was. But when Tal finds a shoebox full of old letters from Julian Oliver – yes, the indie rock star Julian Oliver – she begins to piece the story together. 

She writes to Julian, but after three years of radio silence, she's given up hope. Then one day, completely out of the blue, Julian shows up at her doorstep, and Tal doesn’t know whether to be furious or to throw herself into his arms. Before she can decide, he asks her to go on a trip with him, to meet her long-estranged family, and to say goodbye to his father, her grandfather, who is dying.

Getting to know your father after sixteen years of estrangement doesn’t happen in one car ride. But as Tal spends more time with Julian and his family, she begins to untangle her parents' secret past, and discovers a part of herself she never recognized before. 

By the acclaimed author of My Heart and Other Black Holes, this is an intergenerational story of family and legacy and the way love informs both of those things. It's about secrets and the debt of silence. It's about the power of songs. And most of all, it’s about learning how to say hello. And goodbye.

Available for purchase wherever books are sold. (Indies first! Please consider purchasing from your local independent bookstore if you can.)

What people are saying about here we are now:

“A well-executed family drama of the power of romantic and parental love, secrets, regrets, and new beginnings.” (Kirkus Reviews)

"Warga (My Heart and Other Black Holes) skillfully combines three tales: one of introverted Taliah coming out of her shell, one of Taliah’s mother as a young immigrant, and one of Julian’s rising career and unrequited love. Intriguing, romantic, and honest, the book celebrates the new beginnings that can emerge from tragic endings." (Publishers Weekly)

"“An intense family drama that will pull readers in with poignancy, romance, and grief over lost relationships, all set to the beat of scattered song lyrics woven nicely through the narrative.” (Booklist)

"Jasmine Warga's Here We Are Now is one of those books that has a plot driven by music but becomes a page turner thanks to the ultrarelatable love story contained within it. Long story short: fans of High Fidelity, Nick + Nora, get your hands on this book ASAP." (PopSugar)

"Music lovers, rejoice. Here is a novel for you. Warga’s latest is about the connective power of music in the face of loss." (Southern Living)

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