An emotionally enthralling debut novel, which may be a contender for MY list, as the year begins to wind down, "The Most Fun We Ever Had" is a contemporary family saga of the Sorensons. Parents Marilyn and David, start out in Iowa, and end up in Chicago, raising four daughters--Wendy, Violet, Liza and Grace--and everyone goes through some kind of disastrous experience--marital breakup, stillbirth, heart attack, entangled jealousies, yet though it all stick together.
Not to say this is sticky; it is not. Lombardo shows that even in the strongest of families there are issues, and she plays out those issues in an absorbing manner which will have the reader--as I was--glued to his or her seat, with strong reminders of their own family. I can attest to that, because it started me thinking about my own family issues, and I especially related to Violet.
Lombardo's debut is so assured, I cannot believe it is one. And yet, this is so. She is said to be working on a second novel now, and on the basis of this one, I cannot wait to read it.
The novel may not be FUN fun, darlings, but it is one of the best reads to be had this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't miss it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are you a Wendy or a Violet??
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteVictoria,
I have some of Wendy in me, especially
when I was younger. I never kept such
a sad secret as Violet, nor have it
come back to me, but I am smart, and
have worked myself, like Violet, into
a better place in my life, than before.
So I relate to Violet!