Originally published under the English title You’ve Reached Sam , Dustin Thao’s YA debut tells the story of Julie, a recent high-school graduate who just lost her boyfriend Sam. In her grief, Julie calls Sam’s phone, just to hear his voicemail one last time, but then a miracle happens. Sam picks up. The book’s title pays homage to this central theme of the story, phone calls and reaching through grief. But what happens when an important phrase such as “you’ve reached [name]” can’t be translated? Phone calls aren’t often the first thing you think of when you imagine cultural differences, but the ways in which languages adapt around technology aren’t always the same, despite globalization and the rise of English loanwords. In Italy, when you pick up the phone you say “pronto.” If someone’s asking who they’re speaking to, or when recording a voicemail, the way to introduce yourself is “sono [name].” But “I am Sam” doesn’t hold the same double-meaning as “You’ve reached sam”, and “pronto” ...
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