Sasee Magazine

The appeal of Anna Quindlen’s novel is her ability to entrance the reader immediately and emotionally from page one. One True Thing and Black and Blue are two of Quindlen’s earlier novels that were enormously popular, and her most recent book, Every Last One, is sure to be as well. Quindlen has the incredible ability to create unforgettable characters, heart wrenching plots and amazing stories.

Every Last One
by Anna Quindlen

Every Last One is narrated by Mary Beth Latham, a mother of three with a decent husband, pretty good job and overall happy, average life. Quindlen enables the reader to know this person, like this person, good and bad. The Latham’s family interactions are not perfect, but quite believable and interesting. Mary Beth is the mom with a teenage daughter that says to her, “Mommy, the thing you do, trying to make everyone happy? Sometimes it makes nobody happy.” After this remark, reality hits in true Quindlen style. Twin sons that are as opposite as day and night cause Mary Beth equal amounts of stress, which lead her to thoughts like “I don’t have a life, I have children instead.” As painful as the thoughts and words are, you know that it will not be considered an average life in the Latham house hold much longer. Through most of the book you feel this family’s issues are surmountable, and then tragedy unfolds – shockingly and horribly.

Anna Quindlen’s characters are ones you come to love, and the events in her stories never leave you. These ordinary people and their lives somehow remain in your memory for a long time. Every Last One is a story of life imitating life; how we deal with it and how life goes on.