Claire Lombardo Knihy

Viacgeneračný román o štyroch dcérach, ktoré ľahkovážne rozdúchavajú starú rivalitu, a jednom dávno pochovanom tajomstve. Keď sa Marilyn a David v sedemdesiatych rokoch do seba zaľúbia, žijú v blaženej nevedomosti. Netušia, čo všetko ich čaká. O mnoho rokov prežívajú ich dospelé, celkom rozdielne dcéry ťažké časy. Wendy ovdovela veľmi mladá a útechu hľadá v alkohole a u mladších mužov. Violet je právnička, ale zostala doma s dvoma malými deťmi, trpí úzkosťou a pochybuje o sebe. Liza je neurotička, čerstvo vymenovaná za profesorku. Neplánované tehotenstvo ju nepríjemne zaskočí a ona váha, či dieťa vôbec chce. Grace je najmladšia dcéra, ktorá žije v klamstve a nikto z rodiny to netuší. Na scéne sa napokon vynorí Jonah Bendt, chlapec, ktorého sa pred pätnástimi rokmi vzdala jedna zo sestier, a postupne sa nám odkryje pestrá minulosť rodiny Sorensonovcov, roky poznačené dospievaním detí, zatrpknutosťou, ale aj chvíľami radosti, vďaka ktorým život stojí za to.

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.

Witty and insightful, this powerful exploration delves into marriage, motherhood, and self. The author of a previous acclaimed novel returns with a brilliantly observed family drama, where a long marriage faces imminent derailment from both past and present events. At fifty-seven, Julia Ames enjoys an improbably lovely life, with a husband she loves and two happy children in a quiet suburban existence. However, unexpected changes begin to unfold. Her well-behaved son, Ben, starts acting strangely, leading to a shocking announcement. Meanwhile, her beloved yet belligerent teenage daughter is preparing to leave for college, igniting Julia's fears of an empty nest. A chance encounter with a woman from her past—once a lifeline and nearly a downfall—adds to Julia's turmoil. As she grapples with her checkered past and chaotic present, she risks losing everything she cherishes. Spanning a few tumultuous months, framed by a birthday party and a wedding, this narrative examines the complex trajectory of one woman's life and explores the delicate balance required to maintain a family. The author’s style combines humor, vividness, and acute psychological insight, appealing to fans of contemporary literary fiction.

Julia Ames, Ende fünfzig, scheint ein glückliches Leben zu führen, bis unerwartete Nachrichten ihrer Kinder und eine Begegnung mit einer alten Freundin ihre Welt auf den Kopf stellen. Der Roman erforscht Julias komplexe Gefühle und die entscheidenden Momente, die das Schicksal ihrer Familie beeinflussen.