Every Day

by Elizabeth Richards

In the rare moments when Leigh Adelman has time to consider her chaotic life, it takes her breath it's filled with three wonderful children and Simon, a devoted husband and father. Leigh's suburban New York life is fourteen years distant from her first love, an electric adventure that produced her first child -- and taught her that even all-consuming passion doesn't mean happily ever after. That intense, hopeful time had slowly receded to a remote corner of her heart...until the summer morning when Fowler popped back into her life.
Unfinished business compels Leigh to see the brilliant, uncompromising Fowler. And as soon as she hears his voice she understands that she has always loved him. But this rendezvous turns out to be less about first love than it is about a last chance. For it is clear that Fowler is dying.
Honest, moving and utterly authentic, Every Day is about testing the boundaries of love, and living with the often messy consequences. For anyone who has ever daydreamed about the past, or silently wondered what if, this unforgettable novel rings with one essential the toughest choices yield the most unexpected rewards.

Genres: Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The past knocks.

You open.

How will this affect your family?

Warm, captivating story of love, loss, change and growth. 3.5 stars.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this on my bookshelf, a loan long ago from my sister. It's an interesting story of a lost love entering into a current marriage but with a twist. Intelligently written. A good story!

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bizarre is the word that comes to mind as I finish this book and put it down! Main character Leigh got pregnant at a young age and had a son, when the child was 4 months old, the father walked out of their life......fast forward 14 years......now Leigh gets a post card from this man and he wants to meet her for lunch. Even though Leigh is now married to Simon, and they have two children together, plus Simon has adopted the boy from his wife's earlier relationship......she decides to go to meet the other man and have lunch. By the end of the day not only did they have lunch, and he tells her he is dying, but they also rekindle their sexual relationship. As the story goes on, Leigh's husband finds this all out, they separate, she goes to stay with her mom, she moves back in her house and she and her husband seem to call a truce for the children's sake, and then when this other mans health declines they move him into their home and take care of him, almost until his death!
Really can't relate to any of this, and really find it unbelievable that Simon the husband would let this take place in his home, and that Leigh would continue having relations with the other man, almost until his death, but yet she still wants her marriage intact, her husband and kids too!
As I gave my husband of almost 35 years a quick overview of the story, he laughed and said "well that wouldn't fly with me!" I agreed with him that it wouldn't work for me either! I guess in this day and age of anything goes, maybe this would work in some households, but it wouldn't work in mine, and I still feel like I have just read a very bizarre novel! Glad it was short....230 pages!

[E Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Leigh gets a postcard from Fowler, the estranged father of her eldest son, Isaac. Not only had
Fowler seduced her when she was 16 or 17 years old and he was one of her professors, but he had
abandoned them shortly after Fowler was born. Leigh is now married to a wonderful husband,
Simon, with whom she has two daughters and he adopted Isaac.
Leigh meets Fowler for lunch and finds out he is terminally ill. I can understand her feeling
something for the father of her child. I can understand her sympathy for his condition. I can't
believe one can still love someone you have had nothing to do with for 14 years. Maybe she loves
what once was between them. Anyway she hops into bed with him at the peril of her marriage
and relationship with her children. If she feels any guilt, she overcomes it by her feeling of entitlement to satisfy her love of this cad.
From then on the story just jumps the rails of reality. Leigh's husband and children all
make an 180 degree turn for no apparent reason and the whole thing becomes more of a
fairy tale than anything true to life.
Other Points:
I don't know what 19 year old girl dates a 14 year old boy. This is statutory rape. If it
was a 19 year old boy and a 14 year old girl would it still be o.k. Well I guess Leigh has been
there done that!
Another chauvinistic touch. When Leigh expects to get some money from a book deal, she
thinks about putting money away for Isaac's college but getting ballet and music lessons for
her daughter. How 19th century.

[Cami · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has so many things wrong but makes them look right, so just as a reminder for those who may wanna read it (do yourself a favor and don't):

- Abandoning your child is WRONG
- Cheating on someone is WRONG
- Doing it over and over again after realising it was a mistake (which btw affects your family) is even WORSE
- Making excuses and blaming others for your mistakes is WRONG
- Allowing your son to ask you "Mom, what did you do to him for him to abandon us?" and not educating him and putting things very clear for an ungrateful brat IS WRONG. Or else, guess what kind of person he'll grow up to be.

The main character is fucked up and I don't understand why that's not the book's conclusion.

Glad it's over.

[Melissa Rhoads · Rating 2 out of 5]

These characters were so pathetic, but instead of sympathy, they get my disdain. I do not recommend.

[Alicia Mellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this one on a whim several years ago and decided to re-read it. There were many places where I sobbed (the conversations with the children, mostly, although Fowler had his moment), though there were many chapters where I was put off by the emotional numbness of the main character. This is one that I'll remember, but probably not read again for another ten years.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A happily-married woman of fourteen years has an unplanned and short fling with the man who was her first love and father of her son also a man about to die.

Tearjerker. Recommend to sentimental reade