Same As It Ever Was

Lombardo’s (The Most Fun We Ever Had) sophomore novel opens as Julia encounters her estranged friend Helen at the grocery store, and this event reveals a complicated past that bears heavily on the present. Julia’s father disappeared when she was young, leaving Julia and her embittered mother alone. Julia’s mother drank too much and refused to answer Julia’s questions. As an adult, Julia married smart, funny Mark. After the birth of her first child, Ben, Julia was overwhelmed—an insecure stay-at-home mom with no connections. Then she met successful, confident Helen, who took Julia under her wing, though Julia’s self-destructive choices would later destroy their relationship. In the present day, a 57-year-old Julia is still confused about love and loyalty. With Ben preparing to marry, and Julia’s youngest daughter heading off to college, Julia reckons with her past and her looming future. Narrator Emily Rankin brings Julia’s character to life, gently taking listeners through the numerous flashbacks and sensitively conveying the reasons for Julia’s emotional struggles.