We're All in This Together

by Amy Jones

Winner of Northern Lit Award

Finalist for the Leacock Medal for Humour

Quill & Quire "Books of the Year 2016"

Globe & Mail "Best Canadian Fiction of 2016"

A Penguin Book Club Pick


A woman goes over a waterfall, a video goes viral, a family goes into meltdown—life is about to get a lot more complicated for the Parker family.

Like all families, the Parkers of Thunder Bay have had their share of complications. But when matriarch Kate Parker miraculously survives plummeting over a waterfall in a barrel—a feat captured on a video that goes viral—it's Kate's family who tumbles into chaos under the spotlight. Her prodigal daughter returns to town. Her 16-year-old granddaughter gets caught up in an online relationship with a man she has never met. Her husband sifts through their marriage to search for what sent his wife over the falls. Her adopted son fears losing the only family he's ever known. Then there is Kate, who once made a life-changing choice and now fears her advancing dementia will rob her of memories from when she was most herself. Set over the course of four calamitous days, Amy Jones's big-hearted first novel follows the Parkers' misadventures as catastrophe forces them to do something they never thought possible—act like a family.

Genres: Canada, Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Canadian Literature, Adult Fiction, Family

Audible Audio

First published April 5, 2016

About the author

AMY JONES won the 2006 CBC Literary Prize for Short Fiction and was a finalist for the 2005 Bronwen Wallace Award. She is a graduate of the Optional Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at UBC, and her fiction has appeared in Best Canadian Stories and The Journey Prize Stories. Her debut collection of stories, What Boys Like, was the winner of the 2008 Metcalf-Rooke Award and a finalist for the 2010 ReLit Award. Originally from Halifax, she now lives in Thunder Bay, where she is associate editor of The Walleye. The author lives in Thunder Bay, ON.

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this novel from a GR Give Away in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story of the Parker family. They are a mess but they are the kind of mess that every family can relate to. They are real; they make mistakes but they are connected as family.

This story has a lot of elements in it: many family members, all with their own "issues"; the ecosystem, marine life, living abroad, health and courage. Mix it together and there's a lot going on.

For me, some of these elements were weak and the story may have been stronger without them. The author, at times, jumps in the storylines without detail. No big jumps, no loss of continuity....just small jarring moves that makes the reading sometimes jumpy. But throughout it all, the author never loses sight of warm and heart.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It's warm, tender, humorous, sensitive and is a satisfying read. The ending was truly a warming touch, with the author showing what she terms "the magic heart of the dragon".

[Jennifer Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway, and I'm so glad it has a permanent place in my collection. We're All In This Together is the type of book you can read at different times in your life and get something totally different from it each time. I've been the callow teenager and the lost housewife and the woman afraid to live--all characters that Jones portrays with brutal honesty, humor, and love. This family is all families--perfectly imperfect, messy, and hard to like. But there are such shining moments of humanity in this book that I turned the final page feeling that we all have, to quote Jones, the magic heart of a dragon. I can already tell this is a book I'll come back to time and time again.

[Juniper · Rating 3 out of 5]

many thanks to mclelland & stewart (PRHC) for the ARC edition of this book -- i have been keenly anticipating this read in 2016.

3 ½ stars, if we could.

the parker family is one hot mess. but aren't all families in at least one way or another? jones has created an interesting cast of characters in her novel, and i particularly loved how each character had their own warning sign included in a legend. each chapter is headed by one the ten signs. i feel like jones got into some really interesting research while working on this book - lake superior, geology, marine life, daredevils going over falls, paris, health issues... it all weaves well into creating the parker family history and foundation. i very much enjoyed the thunder bay setting

there were a few issues with the novel i had a bit of trouble with -- there is a device that repeats, 'if this were a movie...' crops up many times to denote how a film version of the parker life would vary from the reality. a bit meta, heh! the first couple of times it was interesting... but i felt it just came up too many times and it took me out of the flow of the read. another issue, i was more invested and engaged in certain storylines and characters, so then felt the other threads to be noisy (if that makes sense?) finally, i also felt like a couple of the story arcs petered out a bit weakly.

but these aren't huge complaints... just things i noticed while reading that were a little distracting. really, there is a lovely heart to we're all in this together. jones does a wonderful job with tensions and frictions in family, the things that go unsaid and bubble just below the surface, and the different ways people are never fully known to others. as well, jones displays wonderful sensitivity in charting kate's, the parker family matriarch's, path.

and, because this tune has been in my mind ever since i learned the title of this novel, and i can't stop thinking about it even time i think of this book ... i give you sam roberts band. 'keep moving don't stop", indeed! : https://youtu.be/VojforS6qFM

you're welcome. :)

[Teresa Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. In the end, every family is fucked up, right? That's the overriding theme of this novel set in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I've never been to Thunder Bay, but to me it sounds a lot like a bigger version of Ladner - always overshdowed by Toronto, people either desperate to get out or happy to stay. And in the middle is the Parker family. Estranged family member Finn comes back to deal with the aftermath over her mother going over Niagra Falls in a barrel, becoming an overnight YouTube sensation. Her family is falling apart, even the ones she always thought perfect, and she has to decide if she wants to stay and help, or abandon them all over again.

[Ankur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! A quirky family drama that takes place in Thunder Bay, this book was everything I could have hoped for. Lots of Lake Superior and Minnesota mentions, which saddened me since I was supposed to embark on a 10 day trip to Minnesota / Lake Superior this summer which I've had to cancel. However, I got to experience it via this book!

The POV changes with each chapter, so you get to read the story from different character's points of view. Some of these characters we only get their POV once, some of which was insightful, some of which was probably unnecessary. And of course other characters we don't get their POV at all, which was disappointing but understandable.

Overall, would recommend this to anyone who likes sprawling family dramas with the quirk turned up to ten.

[Reb · Rating 2 out of 5]

actual rating: 2.5/5

i don't know. i thought i was really going to like this book. the premise seemed really interesting - and the execution completely ruined it. this 417 page book could have easily been reduced to about 200 pages without missing anything at all important.

it dragged, it jumped all over the place, and not much happened plot-wise. there were too many storylines, and half of them didn't even get closure at the end. i'm not a quitter; i had to grit my teeth and take the painful trudge through the last 100 pages so that i could start another book that wouldn't be so boring.

it was also pretty depressing.

some people might enjoy it, but this book was really not for me.

[Ian M. Pyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a crazy-mixed up family - or was it?
Each of the main family members had their good and bad qualities. At first they seemed to be choosing sides, but in the end, they all came together to be supportive of one another.

The story lines of Kate heading off to London, Paris and back home to Walter was well written and intriguing. I enjoyed the back and forth between Fin, Nicki and Shawn especially, it seemed. their own feelings being their number one priority. London and Katriina were interesting people as well and added something different to the story.

But, there could have been a "few" less of the "F" word and it would not have distracted from the story.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that slowly grows on you. I found it hard to get into at first, but chapter by chapter, the characters emerged and began to matter to me. I ached for Shawn and Katriina, wanting things to be good for them. I wanted Nicki and Finn to come together again. All of this was in the time when they had to face the increasing dementia of their mother Kate. The book reached deep into the heart of family and what it means. I was deeply moved by the story.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good, sonewhere between a 3 and a 4. Definitely great to relive some Thunder Bay memories.

[Ryley (Ryley Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Going into this book, I had no really idea what to expect. I knew it was about a family of which the matriarch, mother, wife, etc. goes over a waterfall in a barrel. That and the author is Canadian and the book was set in Canada. At it's bare bones, I suppose that is what this book is about, but their is also so much more to the story.

There are quite a few perspectives that we get, although the first, and main one is of one of the twin daughters, Serafina, or Finn. Finn is the one who 'got out,' leaving behind her family for the big city. After Finn hears that her mom, Kate, was in an accident, she begrudgingly goes home for a few days. Finn was an interesting character, she is pretty much at the point in her life where nothing makes her happy anymore, not her family and not her life away. She does grow quite a bit thoughout the novel, and sees that life in the Parker house is never 'normal.'

We also get to know Finn's twin sister, Nicki, who is pretty much her polar opposite. After becoming a teen mom, Nicki stayed up north with her parents, eventually having a set of twin girls herself, and a little boy, all with different fathers. Although Nicki was portrayed as your typical "white-trash," she was also a little bit endearing and she actually ends up being a better sister than Finn originally thought. There's a lot of anger in Nicki, but I think there's a lot of emotion in general in her character, everything she does, it is with all she has.

Another one of the 'children' is Shawn. Technically, he is just a boy Kate took in when he was a teenager, riding the rails, getting into trouble, but he is practically a Parker. Out of all the characters in the book, I think he was my least favourite. He is married and has two boys, but seems to care more about the Parkers, than his own family.

We also get quite a bit of the story told in the perspective of Shawn's wife, Katriina, who I think was my favourite character. In an attempt to save their marriage from the dullness, they decide to have another baby. Unfortunately, Katriina ends up having three miscarriages, the last of which occurs on the day Kate goes over the falls. Katriina has a hard time being the steady constant that Shawn needs, and ends up driving herself to the brink trying to be perfect. At one point, she takes a box cutter to her calves because she can't deal with it anymore. I loved how raw and real Katriina's chapters felt, and part of me almost wishes that this book was more about her and Shawn's life, with Kate's accident more of a side story. This little family fascinated me, and I was always excited to read Katriina's chapters and get back to the 'good' part.

There are also a couple other POV's, Kate herself, Walter, Kate's husband, and London, Kate's granddaughter and Nicki's daughter. Walter's chapters were interesting enough, but I didn't feel they added much. London's side story was a little bit, I think, unnecessary, but I suppose it did have some point in the end.

Storywise, I enjoyed this book. I think I would have preferred if there was one main storyline, I guess it was supposed to be the waterfall incident, but I just felt, because Kate was in a coma and not really mentally stable, we didn't really get a lot of details on the event. I think if one of the other stories was a main one, like Katriina and Shawn, and Kate's was more secondary, that would have been better. Although I do get that the author was trying to show that yes, this crazy thing happened, but there's also crazy 'normal' issues going on as well, i.e. marital issues, meeting strange men online, cheating boyfriends, having to choose between work and family, all things people can relate to, because most can't relate to going over a waterfall in a barrel.

I think this book was very well written. It is told over the course of four days, and the writing style really made it enjoyable. You really felt like you were in the character's heads.

Overall, I think this is a great summer read, perfect for the beach, that deals with family issues that are easily relatable.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a monthly reading with my book club. It was my selection, actually, and to be honest, I enjoyed it! However small this complaint may be, the hazard symbols corresponding with the characters should not have been placed at the end of the book. I didn't come to notice it until over half-way through. Prior to that, I often had to flip back to remind myself who was speaking. Once I realized the symbols had a purpose though, it was great!

Now, onto the story. It was funny, a little far-fetched, but definitely funny. I understand why the novel started the way that it did, but in all honesty, I found Finn's portions of the book to be the least eventful. Every time I turned the page to see it was Finn's chapter, I found myself skimming in order to get to Katriina's or Kate's segments.

If I were to pick a favourite aspect of the novel, it would surely be Kate's flashbacks to her time in Europe. We're introduced to a completely different side of Kate, a fun, exuberant, and adventurous side. What's even nicer, in my opinion, is the fact that her granddaughter, London, is the only person with whom she has shared this this portion of her past.

While it may not have been exactly what I was hoping for, it is definitely worth placing on your "To Read" shelf. People of all ages could read this novel and get something different from it at each stage of their lives. Although my rating reflects 3 stars, I would give it a solid 3.5 if that were an option, so I'm going to leave it at a 3.

[Ashley Corbett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim and because I liked the cover but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It tells the story through 8 different people's views and there's an adorable legend at the back to keep track of everyone. This book focuses on themes of bravery, courage, forgiveness, family and love and it's actually quite deep despite the hilarious storyline of a woman deciding to go over a waterfall in a barrel. Very touching and very insightful into the world of dementia.

[Karen Rivers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this quirky, fun book and the deeply human cast of characters that populate it. The alternating voices were all strikingly honest and the ending made me cry and cry. One of my favourite books of this year, so far. <3

[Sue Pretty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, I didn't want it to end. Ever.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of a dysfunctional Canadian family begins with the matriarch going viral on You Tube by going over a falls in a barrel. I knew right away that here is a family that could rival mine in lunacy, and I bet a lot of readers feel the same. As the characters tell their stories, we get a sense of what the family dynamic is, and how isolated and unsupported they all feel. The story is in the reconnect, and is more interesting the farther into the back story we know. Amusing, well written and ultimately satisfying.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn’t love the constant premise “if this were a movie...” I did love the rest of the plot twists and characters who were managing the crises of their lives. I especially loved that the author wrote from each character’s perspectives and how they viewed one another really helped develop the story.

[Hilary]

There was a lot of bleakness in this book, and I hope that some of the more interesting characters were allowed some hope and feelings of self-worth by the end. Halfway through, I got so fed up of the endless saga of Nicki and dreary Dallas--my least favourite characters--I had to stop reading. So no rating.

[Mandy Burkhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that were a little difficult to slog through, but it ended on such a sweet, heartbreaking note... I really loved the scene at the very end.

I, too, had a mother who loved to play Scrabble with me. ❤️

[Anne Barlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Ontario, Canada, this story chronicles the Parker family and the immediate aftermath of the matriarch going over a waterfall in a barrel. I really connected with the protagonist Finn and the humor that came from an outsider looking in, almost like something you laugh about years later. The undertone of the story was much deeper when the real reason for Finn’s mother’s desperation comes forth and as Finn and her twin sister confront issues that have harbored for years. While some characters were really well developed, I wished I had gotten to know some of them better and the ending did not result in a satisfying close for everyone in the family.

[Jill Lucht · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book full of strange characters who are also perfectly normal somehow. Helped me think about the meaning and purpose of family when they are far from ideal. The author may have captured what dementia feels like for people struggling with it, and for the people who love them. The end of the book is quite profound.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now THAT is one messed up family, but they will make you laugh! A quick and enjoyable read all around. Nothing too heavy.

[Beccy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastic read. You won’t regret reading this one. It will be a permanent fixture in my library and I look forward to reading it again!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd time reading this book and picked up more Thunder Bayisms this time. Very well written. Awesome job Amy

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first the multiple characters seemed daunting, but I too got caught up in the rich tapestry that is weaved through the characters, setting and story. Also, Canada.
We need more stories like this one!

[Victoria Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book! The sapphic storyline in the middle was amazing! I think it all tied together at the end for the most part and was a great read!

[Melinda Worfolk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Well written, with complex and surprisingly sympathetic characters. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and the large cast of characters and multiple intersecting plot lines made me want to keep reading. The author has a naturalistic style that makes even the oddest situations believable.

(I felt the most sympathy for Katriina, and my favourite part was when we find out what happened to Kate in Europe. But really, in this book, everyone is doing the best they can.)

[Wendy]

Barrelling over falls brings family together

Amy Jones’ debut novel We’re All in This Together is a whirlwind ride, blazing through four days in Thunder Bay, Ont. in a tale narrated by 10 characters connected to a single family.

At the book’s core is Serafina (Finn)Parker, working hard to live an unremarkable solitary life in a nondescript suburb of Toronto. Finn is called back to a complicated family situation she fled years earlier in Thunder Bay when her mother, Kate, goes over goes over Kakabeka Falls — "the Niagara of the North" — in a barrel, barely surviving and becoming a viral video sensation.

Once Finn returns to Thunder Bay, the book’s narration is shared among Finn and her father, her twin sister, her niece, her adopted brother, his wife, and others: in total 10 separate narrators, each with their own clear voice. The family members’ accounts layer, cross and converge, each person seeing the weekend’s events through the lens of their memories of past events.

We’re All in This Together brings Thunder Bay to life so faithfully the reader could follow the characters’ steps on a map. Jones, a native of Halifax and only recently of Thunder Bay, does a beautiful job of bringing small-city living to life: "She is all about the downtown north core, that two-block radius of stores and restaurants that can make you feel like you’re in a real city until you realize you have walked the entire length of the neighbourhood in less than a minute," she writes of one character’s commitment to condo living. "Still, if you never left that two-block radius, if you lived and worked and partied there, you might be able to forget where you are."

Jones draws her characters in bold strokes: all are three-dimensional individuals who sometimes try to do their best, but whose actions are also often motivated by rage or loss, jealousy or fear.

Beyond Kate and Finn, fully half of the book’s narrators are modern female protagonists in the Gone Girl/ Girl on the Train vein: conflicted, sometimes foul-mouthed women who work to balance what society expects of them with that they want for themselves.

Indeed, the strength of the women characters shines a light on perhaps the only quibble with the complex narrative structure: the lack of explanation of what a couple of key male characters are thinking. Among the detailed accounting of the memories and thought processes of so many people, Finn’s ex-boyfriend and brother-in-law appear in silhouette, the reader left to guess at their motivations.

While dealing with the acute problem of Kate’s trip over the waterfall, the Parker family is struggling to come to terms with her worsening dementia. Kate herself strives to hide her condition from her family, while her husband and children deal with the spectre of the decline of the family matriarch while doing their best to pretend it’s not happening.

Kate’s particular illness — semantic dementia, which causes sufferers to lose language skills — is shared by Jones’ mother in real life, and some of the the book’s most resonant writing is in Kate’s voice as she navigates her new mental landscape: "Kate begins to remember little snippets from the previous day... There was a drive, the girl, something about a sandwich. A deer. The girl is searching for someone. The girl is her granddaughter. Her name is on the tip of Kate’s tongue." The view from inside Kate’s head is bewildering; the reader roots for her.

Jones takes a messy knot of a family and carefully draws out each strand, examining the way it connects with the others. The result is a nuanced examination of the ties that bind a family together.

Review reprinted from the Winnipeg Free Press: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts...

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Canada and First Reads!

4.5 stars

We're All in This Together is one of those reads that (excuse the shark nod), you will delight in sinking your teeth into. Award-winning Canadian writer Amy Jones has crafted, rather masterfully, an all-at-once funny, heartbreaking, and wonderfully plotted novel about a family you will not soon forget.

The novel begins with an introduction to Finn Parker, who is forced back to her hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, upon hearing that her mother is in a coma. Finn's mother, Katherine, has become a bizarre media sensation due to a video of her launching over a waterfall going viral. Finn, already struggling with memories of the last time she saw her family- which involved an awful blow-up with her abrasive sister-now has to return home as the daughter of new North American viral sensation: The Conqueror of Kakabeka Falls.

We're All in This Together weaves together a complex and potent story about an almost-deteriorating family. While it seems, initially, as though the story is going to focus mainly upon Finn, Jones takes the readers in unexpected directions with different members of the Parker family. The author pulls pieces of the Parker family apart to examine multiple family members, telling their intersecting stories and their most intimate, unforgivable, and searing moments. Jones thoroughly explores the different veins of the the family: everything from Katherine's complicated history of love to her current state of mental health; Finn and her sister's extremely volatile and aching sibling history; Finn's teenage niece's call to action on ecological and environmental concerns; to that of adopted brother Shawn's place as a 'Parker', to his current relationship with wife Katriina. There is, quite simply, a lot to unravel and appreciate in this story. While potentially daunting (and potentially swamped) with an alternating roster of character storylines and past-and-present timelines operating, Jones smoothly maintains the various story angles and reveals.

Overall, We're All In This Together is just a terrific and out-of-the-ordinary novel. An accomplished read, Jones' novel is very sharp, very funny, with some major heartrending moments. Any readers who enjoy their Canadian lit, family-centred tragicomedies, or enjoy the work of authors such as Maria Semple, Jonathan Tropper, Miriam Toews, or Elinor Lipman, might especially savour this read.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Penguin Canada via First Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story full of eccentric characters, many of whom you might recognize in your your family or amongst your friends. The story takes place in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and the author happens to be from there as well. Very interesting! Everyone in the story has problems and issues, most of which are internalized; and to top it off, Kate Parker, the mom and grandma to the Parker clan has gone over a waterfall in a barrel. What?? Yes, quirky, full of humor and snide remarks. You really get to know what's in each character's head and how they truly feel about things. Very funny in parts and sad at the same time.

Katriina has just suffered a miscarriage, her third in recent months. She makes it sound like it is no big deal and her emotions are put aside. She has things to do on a busy day and won't let it bother her or slow her down. Very unusual. You find out what is really going on the further you get in the book. Inter-family relationships and the difficulties, complexities and stress of everyday life come into play. It is also interesting to read what the characters do to make themselves "feel alive."

Written in a style whereby we go back and forth in time to discover Kate's early years and also learn more about her adult childrens' background stories and their families and how everything fits together. There are many funny scenes, especially those where the Parker grandchildren and cousins get into disagreements and arguments while playing with each other. Very relatable!

Finn, one of the adult Parker twins, has a relationship with Dallas for eight years and her twin sister Nicki becomes pregnant by him. What??? Another interesting story line in this book.

Such an interesting, complex, emotional read that I will not soon forget. The whole cast of characters were amazing! Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher, McClelland and Stewart, for providing me with this unforgettable book!

[Penny McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember why I found this one - some list somewhere? - but when it arrived on the holds shelf I felt like I was extra lucky because just look at that shark! He is tossing a barrel on his sharky snout. Terrifying. There is an underlying feeling of unease in the reading of this book because it is about family and no family life is perfect. There are sharks everywhere. Amy Jones has written something beautiful here and I've shelved it in my 'book club favourites' shelf because I think it would be a rip roaring success for any group. There is no way a group could read this and not dredge up their own family stories, their own youthful indiscretions, stories about their mother. It's just filled with gorgeous moments and, as I was reading it I thought about so many other books that I have read which resonated for me. Moments that have stayed with me. Snapshots that come back as I'm listening to the radio and a little tidbit of a novel will pop back into my head. Amy Jones is that kind of writer - her paragraphs linger in there forever.

It takes place in Thunder Bay which is a delight and it's filled with people who are punching and kicking (sometimes actually so) their way through a life that is messy and real. I can't say enough about this novel. It's five stars plus. There is a reason there is a shark on the cover which wasn't apparent to me at first but once I got to that realization it was like.. ah. So clever, this Amy Jones. We are all in this together. It's a wonderful read. You should read it and you should give it to customers to read. A lively story that will keep them engaged from beginning to end and they will surely see something of themselves in it.