Same as It Ever Was -- Claire Lombardo

<b>The <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i>The Most Fun We Ever Had</i> ("wonderfully immersive...deliciously absorbing"--NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present. <p/>"Witty and insightful...a powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and self."-Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of <i>Lessons in Chemistry</i></b> <p/><i>Same As It Ever Was</i> showcases the consummate style, signature wit, and profound emotional intelligence that made <i>The Most Fun We Ever Had</i> one of the most beloved novels of the past decade. Featuring a memorably messy family and the multifaceted marriage at its heart, Lombardo's debut was dubbed "the literary love child of Jonathan Franzen and Anne Tyler" (<i>The Guardian</i>) and hailed as "ambitious and brilliantly written" (<i>Washington Post</i>). In this remarkable follow-up--another elegant and tumultuous story in the tradition of Elizabeth Strout, Ann Patchett, and Celeste Ng--Lombardo introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters, this time by way of her singularly complicated protagonist. <p/>Julia Ames, after a youth marked by upheaval and emotional turbulence, has found herself on the placid plateau of mid-life. But Julia has never navigated the world with the equanimity of her current privileged class. Having nearly derailed herself several times, making desperate bids for the