In this 512-page novel, “Same As It Ever Was” author, Claire Lombardo uses every word to help us see Julia, a woman who finds life more difficult than most. Motherhood, marriage, and friendships simultaneously
underwhelm and overwhelm her.
This is a messy, hopeful, heartbreaking and suspenseful novel about complicated relationships, forgiveness and seeing each other for who we are. It grabbed me on page one and held me tight.
Through Julia’s eyes we experience her life, and we see ourselves or someone we know. A fraught childhood, a neglectful distant mother, Julia is still craving her love and approval at 57. We see a challenging loving marriage, an unusual friendship, infidelity and depression. And Julia’s haunting constant companion of self-doubt, do I belong? Who hasn’t asked this question?
Our protagonist, Julia is a lonely, barely coping mother in her 30s. She meets Helen Russo, who is magnetic, comforting and worldly and 30 years her senior. Helen swoops in, befriends Julia, takes her under her wing (and whisks her off into the Russo family orbit.
Julia and Helen develop an immediate bond and it becomes a close, and dangerous-feeling friendship. And trouble ensues. Julia’s husband Mark wants Helen to stay out of their lives. It devastates Julia.
Twenty years later Julia is thrown off balance when she crosses paths with Helen in the grocery store. Why is Julia ruffled? She is settled, adeptly hosting dinner parties and yet still vulnerable.
I didn’t always like Julia, she can be self-absorbed and whiny and yet I deeply cared for her. My heart ached for her and Lombardo wouldn’t let us look away. Julia stayed with me long after the last page.
“Same As It Ever Was” can be found at our local libraries.
