Same As It Ever Was: The immersive and joyful summer read from the author of Reese’s Bookclub pick The Most Fun We Ever Had

The author of The Most Fun We Ever Had returns with a brilliantly observed family drama, in which a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present

'I finished this wonderful book in floods of tears. What a joy to let a writer of such talent suffuse us with a life's worth of humour and pain, affection and mess' Jessie Burton

'Witty and insightful. A powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood and self' Bonnie Garmus

'One of those big, grown-up existential novels about parenthood and marriage and teenagers and friendship and family life . . . Both easy reading and profound at the same time, all of it cleverly brushed with wit and humour' Matt Haig

At fifty-seven, Julia Ames has found herself with an improbably lovely life. Despite her inclination towards self-sabotage, she has a husband she loves, two happy children and a quiet, contented existence in the suburbs.

But, out of the blue, things begin to change.

Her always well-behaved son is acting strangely. Her beloved but belligerent teenage daughter is about to depart for college.

And, in the local grocery store, Julia encounters a woman she hasn't seen for twenty years - a woman whose friendship was once both her lifeline and, very nearly, her downfall.

All of a sudden, Julia's peaceful family setup and her long, affection-filled marriage face imminent derailment from events both past and present.

The author of