The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

I am stingy with my 5-star ratings so this one earned it. As one of 4 siblings whose parents are happily married for 50+ years, I thought I might see some similarities….but not really. Our family is much too pedestrian (which makes for much happier family gatherings!). The Sorenson’s while not quite dysfunctional, certainly have their share of drama.

Marilyn and David’s children view their marriage, naively, as perfect. Based on their perception of their parent’s relationship, the 4 daughters have unreal expectations for their own lives – especially relationships. Wendy, Violet, Liza and Grace each have their own personal challenges and view their successes and shortcomings through expectations based on their parent’s relationship and in comparison to their sisters. Wendy drowns her sorrows in alcohol and sex. Violet pretends to have the perfect family until her first child (given up for adoption at birth) finds refuge in the Sorenson clan. Liza’s partner struggles with mental health issues, leaving her feeling very alone. And Grace, the baby, is stuck in Portland – desperate to break out of her role as the baby but afraid to disappoint her accomplished parents & sisters.

Love – familial and romantic – is the complicated theme threaded through this novel. At the beginning the sisters see true love as unattainable because they view their parents marriage as unique and perfect. But what children don’t often see is the hard work that goes into a marriage. Marilyn and David tended to their marriage through the years – they had rough patches, were selfish at times and felt lonely or misunderstood by the other. It’s only as the girls begin to understand that their perception isn’t Marilyn and David’s reality, that they find comfort and happiness in their own relationships.

I have to add that the title of the book is a beautiful quote from David speaking about Marilyn. I won’t give away the context but I can only hope my husband would say the same thing.