Same As It Ever Was: The immersive and joyful new novel from the author of Reese’s Bookclub pick THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD

Here is a summary of the book:
"The Last Time I Saw You" is a powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and self-discovery. The book follows Julia Ames, a fifty-seven-year-old woman with an improbably lovely life, as she faces imminent derailment from events both past and present. Her well-behaved son is acting strangely, her beloved teenage daughter is about to depart for college, and she encounters a woman she hasn't seen for twenty years. Lombardo's witty and insightful writing brings each character to life with humor, vividness, and acute psychological insight, appealing to fans of Maria Semple, Emma Straub, and Jennifer Egan.

Format: Hardback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 18 July 2024
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Mailer and Anita Brookner, Claire Lombardo is a writer of rare talent and vision. Her novels are witty, insightful, and powerful explorations of marriage, motherhood, and self. Claire Lombardo is a writer of rare talent and vision. Her novels are witty, insightful, and powerful explorations of marriage, motherhood, and self. Witty and insightful. A powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and self. Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry, said, It was such a pleasure to bury myself in this book, a literary novel of family life that moved and surprised me. Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures, said, Such a wonderful book . . . It absolutely floored me. What a joy to let a writer of such talent suffuse us with a life s worth of humor and pain, affection and mess. Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist, said, A family saga to save as a treat and devour when you should be doing something else. Independent said, At fifty-seven, Julia Ames has found herself with an improbably lovely life. Despite her inclination towards self-sabotage, she has a husband she loves, two happy children, and a quiet, contented existence in the suburbs. But, out of the blue, things begin to change. Her always well-behaved son is acting strangely. Her beloved but belligerent teenage daughter is about to depart for college. And, in the local grocery store, Julia encounters a woman she hasn t seen for twenty years - a woman whose friendship was once both her lifeline and, very nearly, her downfall. All of a sudden, Julia s peaceful family setup and her long, affection-filled marriage face imminent derailment from events both past and present. The author of The Most Fun We Ever Had returns with another brilliantly observed family drama, which examines the complete and complicated trajectory of one woman s life and asks what it takes to make - and to not break - a family. PRAISE FOR CLAIRE LOMBARDO: A literary love child of Jo. Mailer and Anita Brookner, Claire Lombardo is a writer of rare talent and vision. Her novels are witty, insightful, and powerful explorations of marriage, motherhood, and self. Claire Lombardo is a writer of rare talent and vision. Her novels are witty, insightful, and powerful explorations of marriage, motherhood, and self.

Weight: 758g
Dimension: 164 x 243 x 45 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399608213