Lives Like Mine, Eva Verde
Lives Like Mine, Eva Verde
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

Lives Like Mine

Author: Eva Verde

Narrator: Jessica Alade

Unabridged: 11 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/18/2021


Synopsis

Mother.
                To three small children, their heritage dual like hers.
 
Daughter.
                To a mother who immigrated to make a better life but has been rejected by her chosen country.
 
Wife.
                To a man who loves her but who will not defend her to his intolerant family.
 
Woman…
                Whose roles now define her and trap her in a life she no longer recognises…
 
 
Meet Monica, the flawed heroine at the heart of LIVES LIKE MINE.
 
With her three children in school, Monica finds herself wondering if this is all there is. Despite all the effort and the smiles, in the mirror she sees a woman hollowed out from putting everyone else first, tolerating her in-laws’ intolerance, and wondering if she has a right to complain when she’s living the life that she has created for herself.
 
Then along comes Joe, a catalyst for change in the guise of a flirtatious parent on the school run. Though the sudden spark of their affair is hedonistic and oh so cathartic, Joe soon offers a friendship that shows Monica how to resurrect and honour the parts of her identity that she has long suppressed. He is able to do for Monica what Dan has never managed to, enabling her both to face up to a past of guilty secrets and family estrangements, and to redefine her future.
 

About Eva Verde

Eva Verde is a writer from East London. Identity, class and female rage are recurring themes throughout her work. She has published two novels with Simon & Schuster: Lives Like Mine and In Bloom. Her third novel, Them Girls, is out in summer 2025.  Eva's love song to libraries, I Am Not Your Tituba forms part of Kit De Waal’s Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers. Her words have featured in Marie Claire, Grazia, Elle and The Big Issue, also penning the new foreword for the international bestselling author Jackie Collins Goddess of Vengeance. Eva lives in Essex with her husband, children and dog.  Twitter @Evakinder Instagram @evakinderwrites


Reviews

Goodreads review by Baba on April 18, 2022

An Essex woman and almost 40, mixed race Monica has three kids with her almost perfect White husband; his one significant failing is his inability to defend or even perceive her mistreatment by his racist family. Her youngest is now five and she's began to really start thinking about her next steps......more

Goodreads review by Anika on March 25, 2021

A deeply emotive and incredibly authentic story that explores the effects of deceit and regret in marriage and family. Monica is wife to Dan, and together they have three children: Fran, Joel, and Toby. She’s a Black woman, and her husband is a white man. Despite being part of the family for more th......more

Goodreads review by Piper on October 29, 2021

I enjoyed this, I thought it was good, I'd say go for it if you were interested in it. But I didn't reach for it, I didn't think mmm yes time to read. Maybe it's because I was constantly trying to insert my own family into it and that was depressing but I think it was just fine. Am I glad I read it?......more

Goodreads review by Justine on June 26, 2021

Narrated by Monica, a bored housewife, mother to three children and a wife to Dan, who unfortunately comes with a horrible family. I enjoyed reading about Monica's relationships and how she struggles with self acceptance in a story of deceit, regret and bigotry. The messiness of her life, her flaws......more

Goodreads review by Joan on March 31, 2024

This was really really good. I’m confused that it doesn’t have higher ratings. Racism is everywhere and here to stay, unfortunately. This book just shows a bit of it. Definitely recommend reading this.......more