"We All Live Here" | Reviewed by Tonya O'Connell

“We All Live Here,” by Jojo Moyes, is the story of four main characters, Lila, Jensen, Bill and Gene. Lila is a divorced woman and struggling author with two children, Celie and Violet. Her gardener, Jensen, is a friend of hers. Lila’s father Gene has mostly been absent in Lila’s life, while Bill, her stepfather has been a dominant constant.

Lila has a lot on her plate. A broken marriage, two wayward daughters, a house that is falling apart, and an elderly stepfather who seems to have quietly moved in. Lila feels like she has no life of her own. Her career is in a free fall and her love life is

complicated.

Lila’s best friend, Eleanor, tells Lila she needs to put herself out there.

Following Eleanor’s advice, Lila discovers that dating is not that simple or uncomplicated. Lila learns that men can be straightforward and honest, or they can be secretive and unauthentic.

         Lila begins to date Jensen and a man named Gabriel. Lila realizes that Jensen is not only a gardener but a nice, thoughtful man. Jensen and Lila’s relationship sits well with her family too. Jensen proves helpful in turning her garden back to what it was before Lila purchased her home. Another thoughtful man is Gabriel, a man Lila befriends. Because of this friendship, Jensen pulls away from Lila. Unfortunately, Lila discovers that Gabriel is not the man she thought he was.

Into this quagmire, Lila’s father, a man she has barely seen since he ran off to Hollywood 35 years ago, suddenly appears on her doorstep. He wants to stay. This situation feels like the last straw. How is Lila going to handle having a stepfather and father live with her?

If that isn’t enough, Lila’s discovers a secret that may tear her evolving family apart. Suddenly everyone in Lila’s support group seems to pull away and she feels lost. Lila struggles trying to figure out what she really wants in her life, and what will be best for her children. How is she going to be able to achieve that end?

“We All Live Here” presents a woman in crisis dealing with an upheaval that’s paramount. As Lila struggles, she discovers that the one person she thought she would never forgive might have something to teach her about love, and what it actually means to be a family.

This is a really good novel, one in which people will be able to relate. Being a single parent isn’t easy and deciding how you want your life to go without a spouse is something single parents must decide. A situation like this demands individuals grow up again, without a spouse to lean on. In the process they might just realize their strength.

Buy the Book.