The Accidental Tourist
By Anne Tyler

The reason I love this book is the line "He began to think that who you are when you're with somebody may matter more than whether you love her." The tragedy of losing his son breaks open Macon Leary's marriage; he and his wife cannot heal each other. When he meets Muriel Pritchett, he becomes a different man. With her, he's finally able to grieve for his dead son. That one line returns to me again and again. It allows for the mysterious alchemy between people—those times when for no earthly reason you are attracted to someone. In their presence, you blossom into the person you were meant to be.