The Most Fun We Ever Had Audiobook By Claire Lombardo cover art

The Most Fun We Ever Had

A Novel

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Most Fun We Ever Had

By: Claire Lombardo
Narrated by: Emily Rankin
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.75

Buy for $24.75

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • “A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory.” —Madeline Miller, bestselling author of Circe

In this “rich, complex family saga” (USA Today) full of long-buried family secrets, Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, they have four radically different daughters, each in a state of unrest.

Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator turned stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects.

With the unexpected arrival of young Jonah Bendt—a child placed for adoption by one of the daughters fifteen years before—the Sorensons will be forced to reckon with the rich and varied tapestry of their past. As they grapple with years marred by adolescent angst, infidelity, and resentment, they also find the transcendent moments of joy that make everything else worthwhile.

©2019 Claire Lombardo (P)2019 Random House Audio
Family Life Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring Witty Suspenseful
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

Named a most anticipated book of the summer by O Magazine, People, Chicago Tribune, NY Post, InStyle, Good Housekeeping, Daily Beast, PopSugar, and LitHub

"A rich, engrossing family saga, spiked with sisterly malice...[rendered] with such skill and finely tuned interest that it feels like a quiet subversion of the traditional family saga." —The New York Times Book Review

"Ambitious and brilliantly written." —Jane Smiley, The Washington Post

What listeners say about The Most Fun We Ever Had

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,575
  • 4 Stars
    1,181
  • 3 Stars
    558
  • 2 Stars
    198
  • 1 Stars
    135
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,972
  • 4 Stars
    843
  • 3 Stars
    227
  • 2 Stars
    77
  • 1 Stars
    60
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,266
  • 4 Stars
    1,030
  • 3 Stars
    492
  • 2 Stars
    222
  • 1 Stars
    151

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Sad when it was over. If you like stories that span decades and follow the lives of family members, you will love this. Each character is perfectly developed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Too much profanity throughout!

I’m okay with some profanity that aids the story however the language in this book ruined what would have been a great story for me. No more Lombardo books for me. Sorry.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good... but annoyingly cloying

It's a well written book, and the jumps in timeline made it interesting. Otherwise it's just a long family saga of a regular family. I found the relationship between the Marylin & David so perfect, too perfect to be realistic. I don't know if that kind of a relationship ever exists IRL. But maybe I'm just too jaded. And it's almost as if the author was aware of how unrealistic this portrait of their relationship is, that she goes out of the way to put in little gripes and grievances, which also seem contrived.
The characters are very well developed. I absolutely hated Violet, but I know the type, and it's an accurate portrayal.
Overall, it is engaging, but not exciting. A little disappointed in Reese's pick.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Good but not great. Sort of like a decent sitcom.

Nothing profound but definitely engaging. Fun to listen to while doing other things. No need to hang on to every word.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Smart and warm

This book was so well written and candidly warm in its different views from each family member that by the end you feel smarter just by reading it. The author allows you to relate without judgment.
I will miss them as if they we e my own family.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

one of the best books of 2019

It always makes me a little sad when I read reviews and the main gripe is that the book was too long because that means the reviewer most likely missed out on the audio version. I'm a huge audible fan, and I've discovered that "family sagas" are best enjoyed when they are told to you, rather than read by you. Emily Rankin narrated the story beautifully, so even the slower parts were enjoyable and easy to stay engaged with. So, to anyone who DNF this one, I'd recommend giving the audiobook another chance.
Also, I hated (I mean, REALLY HATED) Commonwealth... I know, I know, I'm that rare weirdo, but because of that, and all the reviews comparing the two, I almost didn't read this book. So, on the off chance that there is someone else out there who didn't like Commonwealth and is debating on whether or not to pick this one up, I hope you ignore the little voice in your head that is reminding you of how annoying Franny was and go for it.

I look forward to reading whatever Claire Lombardo writes next.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good story - profanity uncalled for

I enjoyed the story but the profanity was excessive and added nothing, in fact took away from my listening enjoyment.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Everyone can relate to this story.

It was a little bit confusing at first because it would go back and forth in between times. I really enjoyed it, funny, sad, family drama, loved. The Character Wendy was a tough cookie, I can't imagine growing up with someone like this not easy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Just beautiful

I enjoy hunger games style of books. I enjoy psychological thrillers ...
But these beautiful stories of real life...
Bringing characters to your heart as if they were your own family...
That’s what real writing is.

Actually, I think that if a book is able to demand your attention as much as this one is without a murderer or some major scandal or dystopia or fantasy,.... that signifies really fantastic writing. .

A beautiful book that I recommend to anyone and everyone :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This Family Story reflects my experience

Reading this book was often like reading a memoir. I grew up with parents so in love, we three kids have never been able to catch up. I have a beloved sister who dated an ex-boyfriend, who is also my number one contradiction of love and hate. I am only a mom, but have an MFA, etc. Stories like this, thoughtful and well-written, put my life in perspective. I thank the author for not flinching in this endeavor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!