All We Ever Wanted: A Novel

Emily Giffin

Jun 2018 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

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

Ratings and reviews

**I read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review** I've been a long time reader of Emily Giffin and when I saw the blurb for this book, I was drawn in almost immediately. It seemed like a very different book in the best of ways and I am so happy to say that my instinct was right - this was a fantastic look into the current world of social media that we live in and how both parents and children have to navigate that world. I will say that I thought we were going to get a bit of a cliche plot that we've seen many times before, but again happily, that didn't happen and I believe the story was richer for it. This story is told from multiple points of view, which again I believe helps to enrich it. We get the perspective of Nina, a woman who married into money and privilege and the mother of a son who is a senior at Windsor Academy. While she's always been happy in her life, she's starting to wonder if she's lost the person she always was before the money and privilege. Tom is the second point of view and he is a single father who works as a carpenter and does the best he can to raise his high school daughter Lyla while living paycheck to paycheck. Our final point of view is Lyla herself. A sophomore at Windsor Academy, she is there on a scholarship and oftentimes does not feel like she fits in. High School is hard enough as it is, but when a compromising photo of her gets shared on social media, everything in her world suddenly changes. Having all of the different points of view in this story helps to paint the picture, but it also makes you realize you really don't know who is telling the truth about what happened that night. I was on the edge of my seat as I made my way through the book to get to the outcome. To me this book was so much about the relationships you have in your life. Whether that be with a spouse, a parent, a child or your best friend. No one ever wants to disappoint someone they care about and when you are under pressure and in a situation that may not paint you in the best light or might cause problems for you or a loved one, you are more likely to do whatever you can to make it right and this was very evident in this book. I enjoyed this book immensely and would highly recommend it!

4 Stars Review by Sue Late Night Reviewer Up All Night with Books Blog All We Ever Wanted is the first book I've read by Emily Giffin. It did NOT disappoint! It is told in multiple POV. That of Lyla, the one who is taken advantage of. Tom, Lyla’s father, and Nina, Finch’s mom. Finch being the one accused of taking the photo. Although I have not read many books told in multiple POV I believe this author pulled it off brilliantly. It gives the book a depth that it would have otherwise lacked if only told in singular or dual POV. Nina’s character was weak willed and she drove me crazy most of the book. She was unwilling to stand up for herself either with her husband Kirk or even her son, Finch. I loved Lyla’s dad. He is protective and strong. He goes to bat for his daughter and does not let her down. Lyla is strong but I wondered sometimes if she realized the severity of what she was going through. She seemed a little nonchalant which bothered me to no end. “When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves” This quote sums up the book quite well. It is the story of a woman who is taken advantage of while intoxicated, the repercussions or lack thereof, and the reverberations it has throughout the community. This is so not how I thought this book was going to go, it had some twists and turns I did not see coming. The pace for me was a little slow but I was completely invested. This author is new to me and although I wondered where this story was headed a few times, I realized at the end that it was all a build up to the ending or dare I say new beginning? The ending also left some loose ends that I would like the author to follow up on. There is also a small who done it that had me vacillating back and forth between who I believed was the culprit. It was very well written and captured my attention thoroughly. Definitely worth the read.

I began All We Ever Wanted expecting a light-hearted summer read and I found myself having trouble putting down this thought-provoking, very socially relevant novel. It powerfully addresses issues that afflict our society today and will stay with you long after the last page. Through three alternating points of view and incorporating two generations, the readers are shown the downfalls of societal entitlement, undisputable class disparities and the manipulations that stem from them, the negative effects of social media, gender and class-based double-standards, and the effects of sexual violation. Nina grew up comfortably middle-class but enters the world of Nashville’s elite when she marries Kirk Browning. As the years go by, she realizes she has become “that wife,” the online shopping, yoga class attending, philanthropy gala attending trophy wife. When her son, Finch, is accused of sharing an explicit photo with a racially charged caption of a female classmate, Lyla, to his friends after a party, both the parents and the teens all suffer the consequences. Is he guilty or is he covering for someone? Who else knows the truth and is assisting in the cover up? The reader finds themselves questioning these very answers along with the characters as we jump between the points of view of Nina, Lyla, and Lyla’s father, Tom. Due to the multiple POVs, the characterizations are well-developed and empathetic. Nina is put into the difficult decision of what to do when you believe your son is guilty. Do you support your family no matter what or follow your values? She feels much of the blame belongs with her and Kirk for allowing Finch to become so spoiled and, in a sense, lose sight of reality and morality. Tom is a single father who has devoted himself to his daughter and will do anything to get justice for her, despite her arguments. Lyla is a scholarship student in a prestigious private school making her way through the tumultuous emotion-charged high school years. In the end, All We Ever Wanted leaves you with hope for the younger generation and a reminder that anyone can find the right path in life if they have a strong moral compass to guide them.

About the author

Emily Giffin is the author of nine internationally bestselling novels: Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You’re With, Heart of the Matter, Where We Belong, The One & Only, First Comes Love, and All We Ever Wanted. A graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children.