The Most Fun We Ever Had

A Novel

By: Claire Lombardo

Narrated by: Emily Rankin

Length: 20 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2019 Claire Lombardo (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

Named a most anticipated book of the summer by O Magazine, People, Chicago Tribune, NY Post, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, Daily Beast, PopSugar, and LitHub

"A rich, engrossing family saga, spiked with sisterly malice...[rendered] with such skill and finely tuned interest that it feels like a quiet subversion of the traditional family saga." —The New York Times Book Review

"Ambitious and brilliantly written." —Jane Smiley, The Washington Post

Excellent

Sad when it was over. If you like stories that span decades and follow the lives of family members, you will love this. Each character is perfectly developed.

Too much profanity throughout!

I’m okay with some profanity that aids the story however the language in this book ruined what would have been a great story for me. No more Lombardo books for me. Sorry.

Good... but annoyingly cloying

It's a well written book, and the jumps in timeline made it interesting. Otherwise it's just a long family saga of a regular family. I found the relationship between the Marylin & David so perfect, too perfect to be realistic. I don't know if that kind of a relationship ever exists IRL. But maybe I'm just too jaded. And it's almost as if the author was aware of how unrealistic this portrait of their relationship is, that she goes out of the way to put in little gripes and grievances, which also seem contrived.
The characters are very well developed. I absolutely hated Violet, but I know the type, and it's an accurate portrayal.
Overall, it is engaging, but not exciting. A little disappointed in Reese's pick.

Good but not great. Sort of like a decent sitcom.

Nothing profound but definitely engaging. Fun to listen to while doing other things. No need to hang on to every word.

Smart and warm

This book was so well written and candidly warm in its different views from each family member that by the end you feel smarter just by reading it. The author allows you to relate without judgment.
I will miss them as if they we e my own family.

one of the best books of 2019

It always makes me a little sad when I read reviews and the main gripe is that the book was too long because that means the reviewer most likely missed out on the audio version. I'm a huge audible fan, and I've discovered that "family sagas" are best enjoyed when they are told to you, rather than read by you. Emily Rankin narrated the story beautifully, so even the slower parts were enjoyable and easy to stay engaged with. So, to anyone who DNF this one, I'd recommend giving the audiobook another chance.
Also, I hated (I mean, REALLY HATED) Commonwealth... I know, I know, I'm that rare weirdo, but because of that, and all the reviews comparing the two, I almost didn't read this book. So, on the off chance that there is someone else out there who didn't like Commonwealth and is debating on whether or not to pick this one up, I hope you ignore the little voice in your head that is reminding you of how annoying Franny was and go for it.

I look forward to reading whatever Claire Lombardo writes next.

Good story - profanity uncalled for

I enjoyed the story but the profanity was excessive and added nothing, in fact took away from my listening enjoyment.

Everyone can relate to this story.

It was a little bit confusing at first because it would go back and forth in between times. I really enjoyed it, funny, sad, family drama, loved. The Character Wendy was a tough cookie, I can't imagine growing up with someone like this not easy.

Just beautiful

I enjoy hunger games style of books. I enjoy psychological thrillers ...
But these beautiful stories of real life...
Bringing characters to your heart as if they were your own family...
That’s what real writing is.

Actually, I think that if a book is able to demand your attention as much as this one is without a murderer or some major scandal or dystopia or fantasy,.... that signifies really fantastic writing. .

A beautiful book that I recommend to anyone and everyone :)

This Family Story reflects my experience

Reading this book was often like reading a memoir. I grew up with parents so in love, we three kids have never been able to catch up. I have a beloved sister who dated an ex-boyfriend, who is also my number one contradiction of love and hate. I am only a mom, but have an MFA, etc. Stories like this, thoughtful and well-written, put my life in perspective. I thank the author for not flinching in this endeavor.