All We Ever Wanted: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - In this riveting novel from the #1 bestselling author of Something Borrowed and First Comes Love, three very different people must choose between their families and their most deeply held values. . . . "An unpredictable page-turner that unfolds in the voices of three superbly distinct characters."--The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - "A gripping, thought-provoking journey."--Jodi Picoult NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THESKIMM
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 teenaged 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. Praise for All We Ever Wanted "Page-turning . . . Timely and thought-provoking, it's Giffin's best yet."--People "Giffin's novel has style and substance . . . . Truly excellent."--The Washington Post "If you're looking for a book club selection, All We Ever Wanted is bound to spark meaningful and meaty discussions."--The Augusta Chronicle "A page-turning exploration of wealth and privilege."--Entertainment Weekly
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 teenaged 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. Praise for All We Ever Wanted "Page-turning . . . Timely and thought-provoking, it's Giffin's best yet."--People "Giffin's novel has style and substance . . . . Truly excellent."--The Washington Post "If you're looking for a book club selection, All We Ever Wanted is bound to spark meaningful and meaty discussions."--The Augusta Chronicle "A page-turning exploration of wealth and privilege."--Entertainment Weekly
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Community Reviews
I don't know why but I always thought Emily Griffin wrote Chick Lit books. Books where the bad guys aren't really bad but it's light-hearted and everyone comes out to be the good guys. This book took me by surprise. It covers date rape, photo rape, @$$ hole husbands, and potential crushes who turn out to be less than stellar. I kept thinking, this is not the typical chick-lit I am used to, and believe me, while I love the ending, everyone who you would consider to be the heroes and "good guys" do get ahead in life.
Nina Browning is married to Kurt Browning. Her husband is rich whereas she came from humble beginnings. As we read about her son, Finch, a girl who crushes on him, Lyla, Finch's ex Polly, Beau (Finch's best friend and partner in crime), and Tom (Lyla's father) and how they all intertwined because of the one night from a party Beau threw without the consent of his clueless parents, you read about heartache, surviving and doing what you can to stay strong, and finally, coming out of the fog, you realize this was a heavy-duty, "chick lit" novel. It's more than that. It's something that gives us hope. Not all rich people are jerks and not all people with humble beginnings marry for money. When something bad happens to you, try your best to learn from it and be the best person you can be. If you mess up, own up to it and the biggest lesson I walked away from reading this is, love with an open heart and don't give up on someone. They sometimes can come back to you.
Nina Browning is married to Kurt Browning. Her husband is rich whereas she came from humble beginnings. As we read about her son, Finch, a girl who crushes on him, Lyla, Finch's ex Polly, Beau (Finch's best friend and partner in crime), and Tom (Lyla's father) and how they all intertwined because of the one night from a party Beau threw without the consent of his clueless parents, you read about heartache, surviving and doing what you can to stay strong, and finally, coming out of the fog, you realize this was a heavy-duty, "chick lit" novel. It's more than that. It's something that gives us hope. Not all rich people are jerks and not all people with humble beginnings marry for money. When something bad happens to you, try your best to learn from it and be the best person you can be. If you mess up, own up to it and the biggest lesson I walked away from reading this is, love with an open heart and don't give up on someone. They sometimes can come back to you.
I really enjoyed this book and finished it over one weekend at the pool. It brought up some thought provoking questions about parenthood and how far we should go to protect our kids. I also loved that the setting was Nashville and Bristol because it was cool reading so many places mentioned that I was familiar with.
Unlike her husband, Kirk, Nina Browning did not have a privileged upbringing. But since Kirk sold his software company a few years ago, their Nashville social status has been elevated. Fabulously wealthy and able to afford anything they want, the Brownings appear to have everything they ever wanted: security, a beautiful home, friends, and Finch, their only child. A high school senior who has attended the exclusive Windsor Academy his entire life, he has just been accepted to Princeton.
In contrast, Tom Volpe is carpenter and part-time Uber driver raising his daughter, Lyla, alone on the other side of the river, i.e. "the other side of the tracks." More than a decade ago, Lyla's mother, who had a drinking problem, left but she has stayed in touch sporadically, turning up for occasional visits. Lyla attends Windsor Academy on a scholarship. Lyla wants to fit in with her wealthy classmates, and engages in typical teenage behavior such as sneaking out with her girlfriends and experimenting sexually.
What started out as a typical Saturday night turns out to be the night that Finch makes "the worst decision of his life." A photo taken during a party at his friend Beau's house changes the lives of the Brownings and Volpes. That photo of a partially unclad Lyla bearing a racist caption is distributed to Finch's Windsor Academy friends, setting off a series of events that none of them could have imagined.
Emily Giffin tackles a controversial and timely topic -- powerful technology misused by teenagers. But All We Ever Wanted is an unapologetic, unflinching morality play in which technology serves as the plot device to set up the conflict. At the heart of the story are characters facing a timeless dilemma: What is the right thing to do? It is a tale about class structure, power, and the things that power can, but should not buy. It is a study in conscience and how those who lack a moral compass will do anything to evade the consequences of their actions. It is a story about betrayal, told from the perspectives of Nina, Tom, and Lyla as they navigate a scandal and search for the truth about what happened on that fateful Saturday night. Did Finch take the photo, add the caption, and send it to his friends? Or was it take by someone else who distributed it in order to retaliate? Ultimately, it is a story about how well it is possible to really know those you love the most.
Nina is the moral centerpiece of the story, a decent woman who has happened upon and never been fully comfortable living an ostentatious lifestyle. The incident at the party forces her to take a good look at her life and marriage. With no remaining alternatives, she has to admit that she and Kirk have been drifting apart even since he sold his company and she has doubted much about their relationship, but never before dared to voice, much less confront those doubts. Giffin's writing is at its finest, however, as Nina questions the way in which they have raised their son. She thought she taught him to be a kind, compassionate, honest young man. But as events unfold, she critiques her own mothering of Finch even as she resolves that she will never abandon or give up on the fundamental goodness she knows she instilled in her son. Tom is also forced to analyze his parenting style, acknowledging that he has overcompensated for the fact that Lyla's mother abandoned her by being overprotective and volatile. But like Nina, he is determined to do what is right and best for his daughter. Giffin also tenderly but believably portrays Nina's disappointment, as well as her strength and resiliency in the face of complete disillusionment.
All We Ever Wanted is a cautionary tale for parents, as well as a searing exploration of the consequences of one careless, casual act that will leave readers pondering "What would I do if . . .?" It is a riveting and deeply moving story about good people trying to do their best in trying circumstances that will resonate with readers.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
In contrast, Tom Volpe is carpenter and part-time Uber driver raising his daughter, Lyla, alone on the other side of the river, i.e. "the other side of the tracks." More than a decade ago, Lyla's mother, who had a drinking problem, left but she has stayed in touch sporadically, turning up for occasional visits. Lyla attends Windsor Academy on a scholarship. Lyla wants to fit in with her wealthy classmates, and engages in typical teenage behavior such as sneaking out with her girlfriends and experimenting sexually.
What started out as a typical Saturday night turns out to be the night that Finch makes "the worst decision of his life." A photo taken during a party at his friend Beau's house changes the lives of the Brownings and Volpes. That photo of a partially unclad Lyla bearing a racist caption is distributed to Finch's Windsor Academy friends, setting off a series of events that none of them could have imagined.
Emily Giffin tackles a controversial and timely topic -- powerful technology misused by teenagers. But All We Ever Wanted is an unapologetic, unflinching morality play in which technology serves as the plot device to set up the conflict. At the heart of the story are characters facing a timeless dilemma: What is the right thing to do? It is a tale about class structure, power, and the things that power can, but should not buy. It is a study in conscience and how those who lack a moral compass will do anything to evade the consequences of their actions. It is a story about betrayal, told from the perspectives of Nina, Tom, and Lyla as they navigate a scandal and search for the truth about what happened on that fateful Saturday night. Did Finch take the photo, add the caption, and send it to his friends? Or was it take by someone else who distributed it in order to retaliate? Ultimately, it is a story about how well it is possible to really know those you love the most.
Nina is the moral centerpiece of the story, a decent woman who has happened upon and never been fully comfortable living an ostentatious lifestyle. The incident at the party forces her to take a good look at her life and marriage. With no remaining alternatives, she has to admit that she and Kirk have been drifting apart even since he sold his company and she has doubted much about their relationship, but never before dared to voice, much less confront those doubts. Giffin's writing is at its finest, however, as Nina questions the way in which they have raised their son. She thought she taught him to be a kind, compassionate, honest young man. But as events unfold, she critiques her own mothering of Finch even as she resolves that she will never abandon or give up on the fundamental goodness she knows she instilled in her son. Tom is also forced to analyze his parenting style, acknowledging that he has overcompensated for the fact that Lyla's mother abandoned her by being overprotective and volatile. But like Nina, he is determined to do what is right and best for his daughter. Giffin also tenderly but believably portrays Nina's disappointment, as well as her strength and resiliency in the face of complete disillusionment.
All We Ever Wanted is a cautionary tale for parents, as well as a searing exploration of the consequences of one careless, casual act that will leave readers pondering "What would I do if . . .?" It is a riveting and deeply moving story about good people trying to do their best in trying circumstances that will resonate with readers.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
From the outside, Nina has everything she could ever want. She has a successful (and rich husband), a son on his way to Princeton, a beautiful home, and time to charity work. But that's not really who Nina is, as she finds out when scandal strikes, in the form of a picture of a nearly nude girl that her son snapchats to a few friends. The repurcussions of that force Nina to really examine her life and whether it reflects her values. Her introspection forms one theme of the story, and the did-he-didn't-he question of who actually sent the picture and what the consequences will be, form another. Add to that Lyla, the girl in the photo, who has her own story to tell, and her father, and you get a complex, layered book that explores issues of privilige, complicity, and redemption.
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