This Is How It Always Is

'A very special book about a family with a secret. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think.' Liane Moriarty, No. 1 bestselling author of BIG LITTLE LIES.

Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is 'a sparkling tale about the power of secrets, loyalty and love' (Sunday Mirror). Perfect for readers of WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES and A BOY MADE OF BLOCKS.

This is how a family keeps a secret...and how that secret ends up keeping them.

This is how a family lives happily ever after...until happily ever after becomes complicated.

This is Claude. He's five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess.

When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.

Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They're just not sure they're ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude's secret. Until one day it explodes.

Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. And it's about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard and miraculous and hard again, parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts, children grow but not always according to plan. And families with secrets don't get to keep them forever.

“Wonderful, magical - RedHuge heart, humour and compassion. A sparkling tale about the power of secrets, loyalty and love, this novel is wonderfully engaging, gorgeously written and has characters that will captivate you - Sunday MirrorA lively and fascinating story of a thoroughly modern family and the giant, multifaceted love that binds them. THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS sparkles with wit and wisdom - Maria SempleHeart-warming and funny... I found this both unputdownable and enlightening. I'm so glad I've read it - I know so much more about life now - Katie FfordeI was lucky enough to receive an advance reading copy of this very special book about a family with a secret. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. - Liane MoriartyAn astonishing balance of humour, complexity, and above all, kindness - Ruth OzekiA beguiling tale of a sprawling, loving, ever-changing, unconventional and yet completely typical modern family... Wonderfully moving - Garth Stein”

Wonderful, magical - Red

Huge heart, humour and compassion. A sparkling tale about the power of secrets, loyalty and love, this novel is wonderfully engaging, gorgeously written and has characters that will captivate you - Sunday Mirror

A lively and fascinating story of a thoroughly modern family and the giant, multifaceted love that binds them. THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS sparkles with wit and wisdom - Maria Semple

Heart-warming and funny... I found this both unputdownable and enlightening. I'm so glad I've read it - I know so much more about life now - Katie Fforde

I was lucky enough to receive an advance reading copy of this very special book about a family with a secret. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. - Liane Moriarty

An astonishing balance of humour, complexity, and above all, kindness - Ruth Ozeki

A beguiling tale of a sprawling, loving, ever-changing, unconventional and yet completely typical modern family... Wonderfully moving - Garth Stein

Laurie Frankel writes novels (reads novels, teaches other people to write novels, raises a small person who reads and might someday write novels) in Seattle, Washington. She and her husband and daughter live on a nearly vertical hill from which Laurie can watch three different bridges when she's staring out her windows between words.

Laurie's earlier novels are The Atlas of Love and Goodbye For Now. This Is How It Always Is is her third novel.

'A very special book about a family with a secret. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think.' Liane Moriarty, No. 1 bestselling author of BIG LITTLE LIES. Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is 'a sparkling tale about the power of secrets, loyalty and love' ( Sunday Mirror) . Perfect for readers of WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES and A BOY MADE OF BLOCKS. This is how a family keeps a secret...and how that secret ends up keeping them. This is how a family lives happily ever after...until happily ever after becomes complicated. This is Claude. He's five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess.When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They're just not sure they're ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude's secret. Until one day it explodes.Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. And it's about the ways this is how it always is: Change is always hard and miraculous and hard again, parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts, children grow but not always according to plan. And families with secrets don't get to keep them forever.

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