This book represents the reason why I love to read……this story pulled me in and made me feel like part of the family…..I felt what they were feeling whether it be happy or sad…..boring or intriguing…..confused or ‘right as rain’.

Some of the reviews of this book make the point that the 1st part of this novel are really slow and a bit boring…….talking about a normal family dealing with everyday life…….I embrace normal especially in this world that is struggling to keep the family unit together and happy. I loved to hear Ruby call Mary Beth, “Mommy”…….my own daughters, who are young adults, call me ‘Mommy’ and it makes my heart melt……..I understood and have lived Max’s sadness…..it is a hard road to travel…..I loved the family banter whether it be good or bad…..it spoke to me of a family that trusted each other and loved each other enough to be honest in how they felt…..The mundane was wonderful to experience with the Latham family because it was just so normal.

They did have their trials and strained relationships with friends and loved ones……..but again, that just describes everyday life. I loved the uniqueness of each child and how they each brought something profound to the story. Glen and Mary Beth had a solid marriage that had become comfortable, and while not exciting, it was a full and loving relationship.

The moment the tragedy destroys this family was a moment that I will never forget…….I was so involved in this family that it pierced my heart to the core. I felt lost along with Mary Beth thru the rest of the novel…….struggling with her emotions for I felt they were mine……pondering on the words Mary Beth spoke to Ruby “life can be so hard” and wondering how do you get through each second of each minute of each day after your world is so drastically changed.

The choices that are made by Mary Beth are agonizing for her and I understood her angst…..I love to hang on to things and not let go…….which causes me such heartache when the time comes that I have to do so. The ending of the book was just how it needed to be…..nothing explosive and WOW…….just simple….pure and ‘perfection’.

I loved this book for all the emotions it brought out in me and for all the times I cried and loved with the Latham family……I love that Anna Quindlen wrote a story so true to the human experience and I feel that I was given a moving and very personal experience by reading this novel that will always be in the forefront of my thoughts.

Every Last One - Likewise Book Reviews

8 Reviews