Same As It Ever Was: A Novel

Written by Claire Lombardo

Narrated by Emily Rankin

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NAMED A BEST BOOK BY PEOPLE AND PARADE • The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had (“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.

“Infidelity, dysfunction, secrets – this family novel delivers."—The New York Times • "Lombardo has such a fine eye for the weft and warp of a family’s fabric." —The Washington Post • “Witty and insightful...a powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and self.”–Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

Same As It Ever Was showcases the consummate style, signature wit, and profound emotional intelligence that made The Most Fun We Ever Had 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” (The Guardian) and hailed as “ambitious and brilliantly written” (Washington Post). 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.

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 kind of connection that always felt inaccessible to her, she finally feels, at age fifty seven, that she has a firm handle on things.

She’s unprepared, though, for what comes next: a surprise announcement from her straight-arrow son, an impending separation from her spikey teenaged daughter, and a seductive resurgence of the past, all of which threaten to draw her back into the patterns that had previously kept her on a razor’s edge.

Same As It Ever Was traverses the rocky terrain of real life, —exploring new avenues of maternal ambivalence, intergenerational friendship, and the happenstantial cause-and-effect that governs us all. Delving even deeper into the nature of relationships—how they grow, change, and sometimes end—Lombardo proves herself a true and definitive cartographer of the human heart and asserts herself among the finest novelists of her generation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9780593865521

Claire Lombardo

CLAIRE LOMBARDO earned her MFA in fiction at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her debut novel, THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD, debuted on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has been translated or is forthcoming in over a dozen languages. It has been optioned for television by Reese Witherspoon. SAME AS IT EVER WAS is her second novel. Claire has worked as a social worker and currently teaches fiction writing. She was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, and now lives in Iowa City, Iowa.

Reviews for Same As It Ever Was

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading Clare Lombardo's debut novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had (5 stars for me), I couldn't wait to read her second novel. I've been reading this book for a long time, a chapter or two at a time and finally finished it today. The last 50 or so pages were excellent and made me glad that I stuck with the book. I probably should have just read it through but it was so difficult to like the main character, Julia Ames, it was just easier to read small snippets.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Novel about motherhood and relationships that loses any semblance plot pretty quickly in favor of character development.

[quirkylibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The slowest-moving, tortuously circular book I’ve ever read, with the possibility of Pillars of the Earth. Well-written but i skipped 21 chapters/200 pages to advance ONE week in the life of this endlessly introspective woman. Would give to literary fiction fans. Not for book club- too long.

[shazjhb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book about people, relationships, children, depression, mothers, fathers where nothing really happens. It is a study of characters. I love her writing and just wanted to read and read. Actually I could do with another book with these self same people. I loved the kids, Helen, and Jules.

[ccayne_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was really disappointed. I gave it 4 stars because it was very readable, akin to healthy junk food. Why? I didn't find any of the characters relatable or believable - a little too good to be true considering the challenges with which they were presented.

[pdebolt_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An overly long book with a difficult-to-like cast of characters. Thought of giving it up several times but kept hoping for something redemptive. I loved Claire Lombardo's previous book, The Most Fun We Ever Had, but I can't say the same for this one. This was a disappointment after giving 5 stars to her debut novel.