All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin | Published June 26th 2018 by Ballantine Books | 334 Pages | Goodreads
PUBLISHER’S DESCRIPTION
“Nina Browning is living the good life after marrying into Nashville’s elite. More recently, her husband made a fortune selling his tech business, and their adored son has been accepted to Princeton. Yet sometimes the middle-class small-town girl in Nina wonders if she’s strayed from the person she once was.
Tom Volpe is a single dad working multiple jobs while struggling to raise his headstrong daughter, Lyla. His road has been lonely, long, and hard, but he finally starts to relax after Lyla earns a scholarship to Windsor Academy, Nashville’s most prestigious private school.
Amid so much wealth and privilege, Lyla doesn’t always fit in—and her overprotective father doesn’t help—but in most ways, she’s a typical teenage girl, happy and thriving.
Then, one photograph, snapped in a drunken moment at a party, changes everything. As the image spreads like wildfire, the Windsor community is instantly polarized, buzzing with controversy and assigning blame.
At the heart of the lies and scandal, Tom, Nina, and Lyla are forced together—all questioning their closest relationships, asking themselves who they really are, and searching for the courage to live a life of true meaning.”
✅ REVIEW
This was an engaging and entertaining novel. I saw it listed on the GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS best fiction list and picked it up. I didn’t even read the description and went into it blind.
Lyla attends a private school on a scholarship, her world is upturned when a compromising photograph of her is wildly circulated. The story is told in the alternating points of view of Lyla, Tom (Lyla’s father) and Nina (the mother of the student that spread the photo).
The novel takes place (mostly) in Nashville and it deals with relevant issues such as social media, privacy in the informational age, privilege, and prejudice. I was drawn in from the start and I’m glad I picked it up.
This is the second novel I read from this author, I didn’t care for the other one I read years ago but I loved this novel. I’m glad my previous experience did not deter me from picking this up.
I highly recommend it to readers of contemporary fiction.
✅ BOOK SOURCE AND FORMAT
Loan from Miami-Dade’s Overdrive Library, audiobook
Great review, Carol, as you’ve really captured the essence of this story. I accepted it for review solely based on the description and found it to be exceptional, too.
Thank you, Jonetta! I enjoyed it 😊
Terrific review Carol. I love it when I find great books at the library!
Thank you! I get about 90% of the books I read from the library, I’m so grateful for that resource
Wonderful review Carol. I have read most of Emily Giffin’s books, but missed this one somehow. I will have to see if my library has it. You made it sound like I shouldn’t miss it.
I’m glad you enjoyed it too! Great review!