Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published in USA
Jan 2017
272 pages
Genre: Novels
Publication Information
In the tradition of Jodi Picoult and Where'd You Go, Bernadette? comes a story from debut author Abby Fabiaschi that is "as absorbing as it is illuminating, and as witty as it is heartbreaking.
Maddy is a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother, host of excellent parties, giver of thoughtful gifts, and bestower of a searingly perceptive piece of advice or two. She is the cornerstone of her family, a true matriarch...until she commits suicide, leaving her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve heartbroken and reeling, wondering what happened. How could the exuberant, exacting woman they loved disappear so abruptly, seemingly without reason, from their lives? How they can possibly continue without her? As they sift through details of her last days, trying to understand the woman they thought they knew, Brady and Eve are forced to come to terms with unsettling truths.
Maddy, however, isn't ready to leave her family forever. Watching from beyond, she tries to find the perfect replacement for herself. Along comes Rory: pretty, caring, and spontaneous, with just the right bit of edge...but who also harbors a tragedy of her own. Will the mystery of Maddy ever come to rest? And can her family make peace with their history and begin to heal?
Click to the right or left of the sample to turn the page.
(If no book jacket appears in a few seconds, then we don't have an excerpt of this book or your browser is unable to display it)
"Starred Review. "Warm and hopeful, this marvelous debut stands next to novels from Catherine McKenzie and Carolyn Parkhurst." - Booklist
"Starred Review. Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, this hard-to-put-down, engrossing debut will have readers wondering until the very end. It examines life and death, despair and faith, parenthood and marriage, the choices we make, and, most of all, love - making it a perfect choice for book clubs." - Library Journal
"As Fabiaschi employs ever more convoluted narrative machinations to hide a big twist at the end, the story loses the emotional impact it needs to maintain a connection with the reader. As such, it's hard to grieve along with Eve and Brady, and the disparate plot elements don't fully come together." - Publishers Weekly
"An earnest effort from a natural storyteller." - Kirkus
"An emotional journey of love, loss, healing, and redemption. I rooted for every character." - Lisa See, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Snow Flower and The Secret Fan
"I Liked My Life is a treasure of a novel. Warm-hearted and clever, the story will keep you reading until the final delicious revelation." - Diane Chamberlain, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
The information about I Liked My Life shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.
Abby Fabiaschi is a human rights advocate on the board for Her Future Coalition, an international nonprofit organization with a unique prosperity model that uplifts victims from human trafficking and extreme abuse. In 2012 Abby resigned from her executive post in high tech to pursue a career in writing. I Liked My Life is her first novel. She and her family divide their time between West Hartford, CT and Park City, UT.
"Strong characters, riveting plot and an honest look at life in the Australian outback make it easy to give this 5-stars!"
—BookBrowse
Remembrance
by Rita Woods
A breakout debut with modern resonance, perfect for fans of The Underground Railroad and Orphan Train.
Reader Reviews
Creatures
by Crissy Van Meter
Set on the eve of an island wedding, this provocative debut novel exerts a pull as strong as the tides.
Reader Reviews
Publishing Soon!
The Adventurer's Son
"A brave and marvelous book. A page-turner that will rip your heart out."
--Jon Krakauer
Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. Full access is for members only.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info, and giveaways by email.
