This is How it Always is by Laurie Frankel

I feel like I say this a lot but I just wanted to give this book a hug, which is an incredibly weird way to start this post I know. I literally texted a friend of mine at 30 pages in to the book on how much I loved this book and just wanted to hug it. Got me in all the feels. For me wanting to hug a book is like the highest honor I can bestow upon a book. Gold star material. This book also made me realize how difficult it may be to be a parent and to watch your child go through some very challenging life decisions. You want the best for your kid and will do everything in your power to make that happen but there’s many times you may find yourself in uncharted territories. I don’t have kids but parenting sounds very stressful. But read this book if you are a parent or not. Cause you’ll want to hug it as well.

All families have secrets. Some become public and some will always remain hidden. Rosie and Penn are raising 5 boys when their youngest, Claude, tells them he dreams of being a princess. He dreams of being a girl. They want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be but they are not quite ready to share that with the rest of the world. Everyone in the family is keeping Claude’s wish a secret until it is no longer a secret. How this secret not only effects Claude, but the rest of the family as well. A moving story that captures the power of change and how a child’s path may not be the right path for them.

My heart is just a pile of mush after reading this. In a time where there are many depressing stories on the news and not always a lot of goodness in the world, it was so nice to read a book like This is How it Always is. Kind of takes away from the pain and sadness you see everyday. Made me feel, made me cry, made me smile, and made me think. What would I do if I was ever in this situation? Obviously being there for my child and whatever path of life they chose. Creating a home where we can all be loved no matter what.

Until Next Time, The Library Abroad