The Story of Our Lives

January 1, 2018

Sophie, Emily, Amy, and Melissa were best friends at university in England, and remain best friends. They are friends when Sophie meets Steve in their first year, when Emily becomes pregnant and a single mother, when Amy meets the man of her dreams. Almost every year, they come back together again to catch up on the high points of their lives. They practice tough love and kick Melissa out when she's addicted to coke and alcohol. They kidnap Amy to rescue her and her children from an abusive marriage. Through weddings, births, careers, and 20 more years, they struggle but remain best friends. The one secret that can tear them apart is the identity of the man who fathered Emily's son. VERDICT Told year by year for 20 years, Warner's (With or Without You) character-driven novel follows the growth of four women. The characters are realistic and well developed, flawed, and easy to distinguish. The intense portrayal of modern life, women's friendships and problems may satisfy fans of Debbie Macomber or Alice Adams's Invincible Summer.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2018
Amy, Sophie, Melissa, and Emily have been best friends since childhood. They have seen each other through the milestones of marriages, births, and more. They support one another through the hardships as well, but not without putting strain on their friendships. When Amy's pristine marriage cracks, Sophie has parenting fears, Melissa has an alcoholic breakdown, and Emily's son's paternity is questioned, each woman must come to grips with her own issue either with, or in some cases, without, the support of each other, as some secrets are too deep to forgive. Warner uses a realistic tone in this debut novel, and she keeps the pages turning without being bogged down by minutiae. Over the course of 20 years, each secret is revealed, but Warner leaves the deepest one until the very end. With a story full of lies, betrayals, deception, and infidelity, readers won't be able to get enough of this story, particularly the final revelation and conclusion. This book will be at home in public libraries where women's fiction with a focus on female friendships is popular.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)