The History of Us: A Novel - Softcover

Leah Stewart is the critically acclaimed author of The History of Us, Husband and Wife, The Myth of You and Me, and Body of a Girl. The recipient of a Sachs Fund Prize and a NEA Literature Fellowship, she teaches in the creative writing program at the University of Cincinnati and lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two children. Visit her online at LeahStewart.com.

“A sprawling novel with some of the off-kilter charm of Anne Tyler’s work, The History of Us glows with affection for its wounded, familiar characters.” Source: Boston Globe

“Touching drama . . . Faced with urgent choices, Eloise and the grown kids react with varying degrees of wisdom and pigheadedness, but as Stewart tenderly demonstrates, they remain – for better or worse – a family.” Source: People

“Stewart’s novel reminds us how family ties trump all else.” Source: Parenting Magazine

"Charming. . . Stewart weaves a smart, redemptive tale of maturation." Source: Star Tribune

“Domestic fiction fans favoring strong, intelligent characters will be intrigued by Stewart’s introspective examination of a family.” Source: Library Journal

“Stewart is a wonderful observer of family relationships, and she adroitly weaves the stories of Eloise and the children she’s raised—their work, their loves, their disappointments and dreams—while focusing on what ties families together, and what ultimately keeps those ties from breaking.” Source: BookPage

"With a playwright’s precise, sometimes excoriating dialogue and an insightful novelist’s judicious use of interior monologue, Stewart crafts a tearful yet unsentimental family coming-of-age story." Source: Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A poignant exploration of the meaning of family...the life they’ve lived was as much a gift as the life they lost.” Source: Booklist

“Stewart’s novel is an intimate exploration of a family in crisis and the different ways in which people cope with grief.” Source: Publishers Weekly

"The History of Us stays the course and shows how a family negotiates through a particular crisis. Leah Stewart seems to love her characters even when they are not especially lovable, and gives them space and time enough to grow and change." Source: BookReporter.com