Listen free for 30 days

  • The Most Fun We Ever Had

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Claire Lombardo
  • Narrated by: Emily Rankin
  • Length: 20 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (111 ratings)

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 + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Most Fun We Ever Had cover art

The Most Fun We Ever Had

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

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $48.25

Buy Now for $48.25

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

Publisher's Summary

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

What the critics say

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
    57
  • 4 Stars
    42
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    71
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    33
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    2

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

Dysfunction + love

A family story full of dysfunction + love. I think we will all see at least if sliver of our own stories.

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
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

20 hours of fun for emotional drama junkies

The story was satisfying and narration excellent, but man… 20 hours of character introspection was a little tough even for me and I’m a psychotherapist!

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
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Tedious

the first few chapters are quite engaging, but it begs down around chapter 18, not sure I have the stamina to slog through all the anger and arguments...

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

A beautiful and honest story

I loved it so so much. Everything about this book was authentic and poignant. I want to listen to it again and again!

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
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Charming tale of Life

A relatable story about a family’s relationships through the years dealing with different personalities and life’s conflicts. An easy listen - narrator was excellent at voices and bringing the characters to life. I would recommend for someone who wants an easy listen - sometimes drawn out - but overall good story.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Couldn't finish

The narrator's voice is irritating, sort of wry, monotonous, mumbling and breathless. And the writing, so much passive voice, and internal dialogue that goes round and round to nowhere. So much random backstory I couldn't get a handle on the actual story.

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

Loved it!

I loved this story and the narration. I especially enjoyed all the characters. Definitely recommend !

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
  • MCK
  • 2019-09-03

Loved this poignant tribute to motherhood!

I enjoyed every minute of this well crafted story about the Sorensen Family. I thought it dove into what it means to be a mother, daughter and sister with such subtlety and depth. The narrator gave each character a subtly distinct voice that was helpful and not distracting. She was lovely to listen to.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!