Wow! A deep dive into life's emotions and effects after trauma. Julia London did a great job of working through this novel and all the complexities of life.

The impact of a person's addiction on family is traumatic and all consuming. Lorna learned at an early age she would always play second fiddle to her older sister Kristen's addiction and her problems. It has made Lorna hard and untrusting--everyone she should have been able to trust has betrayed her in some way. As an adult, she has retreated into what she thinks of as her internal bomb shelter--always waiting for the other shoe to drop. She keeps to herself, her dog her only companion, until an eight-year-old boy from across the hall befriends her dog and then her.

Bean is the only person who doesn't seem to mind Lorna's gruff awkwardness, and at times, he speaks truth and wisdom beyond his years. When an opportunity to buy her grandmother's house comes up--the only place she has ever felt happy--Lorna is faced with the terms of a trust her mother left She must address the things in her life that have left her so bitter and make amends for them.

As she embarks on this journey through her life with Bean, her small Greek chorus, Lorna begins to realize that events that seemed ruined by her sister's addiction may not have happened as she remembers. And even if they did, her chance to make amends for them is freeing her from the guilt she has felt for her sister's troubles. She begins to accept that there is nothing she could have done to change the course of Kristen's life, but she can change the course of her own. And maybe, her grandmother's house is not the home she thinks it is.

This book was way more deep and sad at the beginning at least than I expected but in a good way. Julia London had a tough childhood and so is not making friends at work. She makes a mistake a work that leads to her taking a 30 day wellness retreat. From there we get a back and forth story of her childhood and the present. We learn of her sister`s drug abuse, her parent's divorce and so on. Julia makes friends with an 8 year old boy in her apartment building and finds a real friend which was so sweet but also heartbreaking. This story was about Julia making amends to people not just for them but for herself so she could move on. I really enjoyed this book. It was about found family and about hope.

Everything Is Probably Fine
By Julia London, narrated by Marni Penning

This was just wonderful.

While there’s a budding romance, this isn’t a romance novel—not really. It’s more about Lorna falling in love with herself again. And sure, the setup requires a little suspension of disbelief (not many companies are out here funding month-long wellness programs), but I happily went along for the ride.

I’m a sucker for stories about found family and the kind of unexpected friendships—like one with a child—that slowly transform a person. There’s something deeply moving in the reminder that so many lonely people are only a few real conversations away from building their own community.

The storyline with Lorna’s sister’s addiction is brutal and honest. Addiction doesn’t just wreck the person—it shreds the family too. I couldn’t bring myself to forgive Lorna’s parents (they were awful), but I appreciated how the author made the case that forgiveness can be something you do for yourself, not for them.

Heartbreaking, hopeful, and full of heart. A lovely listen.