We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

I read and loved Jojo Moyes historical fiction novel about the Kentucky Packhorse Library, A Giver of Stars, so when I saw that she had a new novel coming out, I was intrigued. I even read the dust jacket, which I never do, and it hooked me even deeper. So when I got to choose my book club's pick for the month of June, I knew just what it would be. This book deals with infidelity, grief, death of a parent, pregnancy, and abandonment.

Lila Kennedy's husband left her months ago. Worse yet, he left her right after her new book published - detailing how she keeps her marriage fresh and healthy. And worse than even that, his new girlfriend has a son who goes to the same school as Lila's daughters, so she is forced to see the other woman and her beautiful face and her sophisticated clothes every day. But Lila's stepdad Bill keeps reminding her that bad things come in threes. First, her marriage implodes. Second, her mother unexpectedly dies. What could be third? Could it be the new book that she's supposed to be writing that is... not being written at all. Could it be that her bathroom toilet stopped working... again. Or could it be that her father, who she hasn't seen in decades, just knocked on her front door and needs a place to stay for a few days. Maybe bad things don't come in threes after all.

This story was not what I expected. It is a story about grief, about understanding and miscommunication, about dating again after such a long time not dating at all. It is about granddaughters and grandfathers and mothers and children. It's about the hidden depths that each person stores within them, and the fact that you can never know everything about someone. It's about having the strength to keep going when you don't want to, about doing what is right for you. And it sneaks up on you, that part of the story. It was funny and easy to read, with peculiar characters with very strong personalities. Lila as a main character is stuck in her ways and it takes many hijinks and a lot of frustration for her to break free of that, but she does eventually make her way and I was happy to see it.

I'm giving We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes 4 stars out of 5. It was not my favorite book of the year, but I did enjoy it and I think bits of it will stick with me for some time. I'll definitely keep an eye out for other work by Jojo Moyes.

For more from the author, see her website at https://www.jojomoyes.com/

Pairs well with tuna pasta casserole and leaving the bench in the garden where it goes!

Review of The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes