“Neither of them had discussed when he was going to move home. It wasn’t as though having him there got in the way of Lila’s life (what life?), and Bill’s gentle presence gave what remained of their family a much-needed sense of stability and continuity. An anchor for their vainly little bobbing rowboat, which felt, most days, slightly leaky and unstable and as if they had abruptly and without warning found themselves adrift on the high seas.”
-We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes
There are some books and authors whose books read like an old friend. They are enormously comforting, honest, true, eccentric, funny and there for you at the end of a long day. I’ve been a very big fan of Jojo Moyes’ novels for quite a long time now. She snagged me with one of my favorite literary characters of all time- Louisa Clark and the Me Before You series. And every book I’ve read of hers since then had been an absolute warm hug and always exactly what I need at the time.
I was over the moon when I saw We All Live Here come out. It is an emotional, character driven story about a family who are all living together under one roof. After her ex husband leaves her for another woman, Lila and her daughters struggle to adapt to a new normal. Her mother Francesca, the backbone of her life, dies not long after. In an attempt to help her out, her stepfather Bill, moves in temporarily. But as time goes on, more and more of his stuff moves in too.
Lila is barely used to this when her biological father, Gene, who has had a bare minimum relationship with her entire life, shows up on her doorstep. He says he needs a place to crash for a few days, but there seems to be no getting rid of him once he’s warmed the hearts of her daughters, Violet and Celie.
What unfurls is a story of family. Family that are at odds with each other a lot of the time but still love and care for each other. Lila is trying to figure out who she is now (do we ever really know?), what her career will be, how she’s supposed to see her ex husband’s pregnant girlfriend at school pick up every day, and what it means to date again.
This book was a whirlwind of emotions. Lila and her family draw you in. Gene and Jensen and Celie make you stay. I loved the dynamics of this family and just watching as everyone figured out the next chapter of their life, independently and together. This is one of my favorites, of course, and I’m so grateful that there are books like this in the world. They’re needed and deserve to be cherished and loved.
Of Worlds Forgotten 
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