The Most Fun We Ever Had

By Claire Lombardo

The Most Fun We Ever Had - Claire Lombardo
  • Release Date: 2019-06-25
  • Genre: Literary Fiction
Score: 4
4
From 1,021 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • “A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory.” —Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe

In this “rich, complex family saga” (USA Today) full of long-buried family secrets, Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest.
 
Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator turned stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects.
 
With the unexpected arrival of young Jonah Bendt—a child placed for adoption by one of the daughters fifteen years before—the Sorensons will be forced to reckon with the rich and varied tapestry of their past. As they grapple with years marred by adolescent angst, infidelity, and resentment, they also find the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.

Reviews

  • Wow

    5
    By Jamiam987
    Thank you for writing this book And for the characters and descriptions so vivid I could almost recognize them
  • The Most Fun We Ever Had?

    2
    By Georgiagirl21
    Too long for the lack of plot and underwhelming and boring characters. The title really makes little sense and is only a bland reference to one scene that comes late in the book.
  • Loved it

    5
    By jne212
    I loved this book. I thought it was a beautiful depiction of the aches and joys of a family.
  • My favorite book.

    5
    By alexmoore615
    A read that is beautiful, heartbreaking, addicting, and real.
  • Immensely satisfying

    5
    By JackieThinks
    The story reads as if they are all real people: flawed, loving, bitter, supportive, jealous, pitiful - as all families are. It’s a glimpse into a family life you wish you’d had but are at least glad you’ve experienced their joys and heartbreaks.
  • Idealized picture of traditional suburban family

    2
    By Zhz113
    I agree with another reviewer that this book is about white privilege. Idealized view of marriage and foster care. Main theme is find your person in life to be complete, family bonds are forever strong, life is messy but all will turn out well.
  • White privilege

    2
    By plantluvr83
    I couldn’t stand this rich white family and their problems. I kept waiting for a plot, it never came, just chapter after chapter of trivial boredom. Skip it.
  • Complex, intricate and delightful

    5
    By ganjoca
    I loved the intricacy of the characters the complexities of their relationships and the misunderstandings amongst them. So real life very well detailed and explained. It took me a lot longer to read every sentence was complex from multiple points of view and I wanted to savor each one.