Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    You and Me and Us: A Novel
    You and Me and Us: A Novel
    You and Me and Us: A Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    You and Me and Us: A Novel

    Written by Alison Hammer

    Narrated by Alison Hammer, Courtney Patterson, Caitlin Kelly and Timothy Andrés Pabon

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    “Hammer is an expert at both tugging heartstrings and keeping the reader utterly immersed in a world of hope and heartbreak. A great new voice in women’s fiction.”-- Kristin Harmel, #1 international bestselling author of The Winemaker's Wife

    The heartbreaking, yet hopeful, story of a mother and daughter struggling to be a family without the one person who holds them together—a perfect summer read for fans of Jojo Moyes and Marisa de los Santos.

    Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Since opening her own advertising agency three years ago, Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. While he’s quick to say they divide and conquer, Alexis knows that Tommy does most of the heavy lifting—especially when it comes to their teenage daughter, CeCe. 

    Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him. So Alexis does what Tommy has done for her almost every day since they were twelve-year-old kids in Destin, Florida—she puts him first. And when the only thing Tommy wants is to spend one last summer together at “their” beach, she puts her career on hold to make it happen…even if it means putting her family within striking distance of Tommy’s ex, an actress CeCe idolizes.

    But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too.

    As CeCe’s behavior becomes more rebellious, Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance.  

    You and Me and Us is a beautifully written novel that examines the unexpected ways loss teaches us how to love.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 7, 2020
    ISBN9780062984135
    Author

    Alison Hammer

    Founder of the Every Damn Day Writers, Alison Hammer has been spinning words to tell stories since she learned how to talk. A graduate of the University of Florida and the Creative Circus in Atlanta, she lived in nine cities before settling down in Chicago, where she works as a VP creative director at an advertising agency. You & Me & Us is her first novel.

    Related to You and Me and Us

    Related audiobooks

    Contemporary Women's For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Top 10 Books

      Jun 16, 2023

      Top 10 Books
      1 min read

    • Article

      Greedy Gold En Girls

      Mar 25, 2021

      Greedy Gold En Girls
      3 min read

    • Article

      Yellow Is the Color of Choices

      Dec 10, 2023

      For whatever reason, when she sees me each weekend, Megan still hugs me like when she was five. Her skinny arms wrap around my waist, and her eyes squeeze tight like she’s absorbing me into her skin. This is both heartening and heart-wrenching. I wan

      13 min read

    • Article

      I’ll Not Risk Myself

      Feb 10, 2024

      My phone reception is better outside the laundromat, so I spend most of my time waiting for laundry on the bench near the door. I don’t talk with my friends, but I surf the news. I like to know what’s going on. I don’t like people to know about me, t

      13 min read

    • Article

      Cat World

      Oct 2, 2020

      Cat World
      12 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Surprise

      Sep 17, 2021

      Birthday Surprise
      5 min read

    • Article

      Daughters’ Bodies

      Dec 1, 2019

      WHEN I’M about to go away to college, my grandmother dies and my mother silently puts herself up for adoption. LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO ADOPT ME: Kind, lonely, beautiful woman in her 50s. Dead husband. No children. Cooks and cleans. 4’11 and 90 lbs. Gu

      20 min read

    • Article

      While We Live

      Jun 18, 2021

      While We Live
      24 min read

    • Article

      Love in LOCKDOWN

      May 7, 2020

      Love in LOCKDOWN
      7 min read

    • Article

      Here’s What I Don’t Say

      Jun 1, 2019

      Here’s What I Don’t Say
      13 min read

    • Article

      Nuclear

      Oct 7, 2021

      Nuclear
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Problem with My Dachshund

      Dec 11, 2019

      The Problem with My Dachshund
      10 min read

    • Article

      Epithalamium

      Jun 1, 2023

      Epithalamium
      16 min read

    • Article

      Bad-Time Dimitri

      Feb 3, 2022

      Bad-Time Dimitri
      16 min read

    • Article

      Come with Me

      Dec 1, 2022

      Come with Me
      12 min read

    • Article

      New Year same Me

      Jan 11, 2023

      New Year same Me
      7 min read

    • Article

      Now That I’ve Arrived

      Dec 30, 2020

      Now That I’ve Arrived
      5 min read

    • Article

      The First Day

      Jan 3, 2020

      The First Day
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Double Life

      Dec 7, 2020

      Sadie is in the kitchen, already dressed in school uniform, fastening the clips on the violin she chose for her most recent birthday, when Gabriela heads downstairs the following morning. Seven years old: how the hell did that happen? Briefly, she wo

      6 min read

    • Article

      Some Other Reality

      Jun 9, 2019

      Saturday morning, and I step out onto my balcony, coffee in hand. The street is already full of parents, kids and dogs. Everyone, including the canines, looks healthy and relaxed. Everyone, excluding the canines, is wearing beige or white cotton, and

      2 min read

    • Article

      When Naming Isn’t Enough

      Aug 31, 2018

      When Naming Isn’t Enough
      16 min read

    • Article

      ANGER Mismanagement

      Feb 9, 2020

      Mr Stable has asked me to pick up his drycleaning, as he’s going to ‘babysit’ at his ex-wife’s apartment, while she attends a tango class. “Maybe she’ll find a new love?” I’m a sucker for happy endings, so I can’t help hoping that his ex-wife will fi

      3 min read

    • Article

      I finally told Mum THE TRUTH

      Oct 24, 2023

      I knew from the very beginning that what my dad was doing to me was wrong. I was just two when it started. My dad Paul would come into my bedroom at night and sexually assault me. Even at that age, I knew he shouldn’t be doing those things to me, but

      4 min read

    • Article

      Baby Steps

      May 14, 2021

      Baby Steps
      8 min read

    • Article

      Baby Steps

      May 14, 2021

      Baby Steps
      8 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for You and Me and Us

    4/5

    64 ratings18 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      An emotional, yet satisfying read. Get some tissues!New-to-me author. Great writing.I received a copy of this book via LibraryThing's Early reviewer program.
    • 4/5
      I loved seeing the characters grow and change out of challenges. The beach/Florida setting was also perfect since we won't make it to the beach this summer. Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program for the copy of this book!
    • 5/5
      It took me a little white to get absorbed ---by the characters but after than I found the author's presentation of the different points over view over the subject of dying well presented and I really had to give her credit for working through several different issues. Yes, in nice novel fashion, the epilogue gives us an ending. Not sure what a sequel could do--Lexie isn't presented as someone who could ever try again.
    • 5/5
      Alexis does not have a good work/life balance, but she does not worry too much about her family because she knows her partner Tommy will be there for their daughter, CeCe. A terminal cancer diagnosis changes everything, unfortunately. Now, a few months of summer is what Alexis and CeCe have to not only savor their remaining time with Tommy, but also figure out how to move forward without him. Alison Hammer’s debut novel is absolutely beautiful. Covering love, loss, and family, it is not an emotionally easy read, but it proves worth it. I enjoyed getting to know this broken family—and cried for them more than once. Their navigation of the challenges through something no one should have to face is not without hopeful and humorous moments, and by the end, I just felt glad to have experienced their story.You and Me and Us is a book I definitely recommend.I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
    • 4/5
      Very sweet, sad, touching, heartfelt and well written story of love and loss. parts were a bit hard, like the anger CeCe felt for her Mother throughout the book, in part because I remember being so angry with my Mother sometimes, just a normal part of being a snotty teenager I think, and part for the love CeCe had for her Father, in part because I never experienced that...I liked this book. So glad I won it!
    • 4/5
      Tommy’s world is upended when he has to tell his wife Alexis and daughter CeCe that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. For years, Alexis has been a workaholic and has typically tended to miss important events in the lives of her husband and child. 14-year-old CeCe doesn’t have a lot of affection for her mother because from her perspective, Alexis doesn’t prioritize her and therefore must not love her. The relationsip betwen mother and child is tumultuous at best, and Tommy has always been the glue that holds the family together. But Alexis and CeCe will have to learn how to manage their relationship when Tommy is no longer with them.I knew that this one would be emotional going into it, and OH MAN it was. It wasn’t long ago that I lost someone important to me, and I was a little bit nervous about how I would handle certain aspects of this story. I teared up in multiple places, but overall I felt like it was cathartic for me. I was able to relate to things that I wasn’t necessarily expecting in the story, and I was also able to emotionally connect with the characters in a strong way.That doesn’t mean that I love everything they did. Alexis and CeCe have a really difficult relationship, and it was hard to read at times. CeCe did not respect her mother at all for a time, and Alexis really didn’t pursue her daughter at all. She essentially left the parenting up to Tommy. Apparently I have stronger opinions about this than I realized, because when I had to put the book down for a few minutes, it was because of how Alexis and CeCe acted toward one another rather than how emotional some parts were. Most of the time, I felt more about their relationship (anger, frustration, sadness) than I did about the grief they were all experiencing.But that’s just me. The anticipatory grief in this book is super, super well presented. It is so hard to watch someone go through a terminal illness physically, especially when the person used to be a thriving and healthy person in the prime of his or her life. The apprehensive moments where CeCe was nervous to be around her father were so accurate and well done, and the desperate moments when Alexis wanted to almost will Tommy to breathe and thrive were also very well done.It’s a deeply emotional read, but also hopeful and full of happy, funny moments.I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!
    • 4/5
      This was an emotional and truly touching novel. It is the story of Alexis (Lexie), her partner, Tommy and their daughter, Cece and their last summer together before Tommy succumbs to stage 4 lung cancer. The characters are very real and the whole book is well written. It made me cry but it also made me smile. I highly recommend this family drama. Thanks to LibraryThing for the ARC.
    • 4/5
      When someone you love is given a terminal diagnosis, your whole world comes crashing down around you. The grief and despair and anger threaten to overwhelm. And in perhaps an ironic cruelty, you and the person living with the diagnosis have to do just that: live. How do you go about your daily business with this threat hanging over you? Can life still focus on life until there's no choice but to face inevitable death? What does that look like? In Alison Hammer's debut novel, You and Me and Us, she tackles all of these questions and more when Tommy Whistler, beloved partner, adored father, gentle psychiatrist, and the person who keeps their small family firmly together and ticking, is given a terminal lung cancer diagnosis.Alexis Gold co-owns an advertising company. She has been scrambling to prove that motherhood and family won't impact her career since long before she started her own company. Luckily, her understanding and supportive partner Tommy, is an amazing dad and he has forever picked up the slack when Alexis is running late or misses another of their daughter's events. Unfortunately this has led to an estrangement between Alexis and CeCe, as the young teenager is certain that she cannot count on coming before her mother's work. CeCe and Tommy's bond though, is incredibly close and loving. And while Tommy may sometimes disapprove of Alexis' unchecked workaholic tendencies, he also understands them and knows that she still loves him and CeCe with all her heart. So when Tommy tells first Alexis and then CeCe that he's been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer they are devastated. Having watched his mother die of cancer after being diminished by treatments, he has chosen the hard option of not fighting for more time, knowing as he does that his outcome cannot, and will not, change. What he does want is quality of life over quantity and that means one last summer in Destin, Florida where he grew up and Alexis spent her summers as a child. It is a summer that will change Alexis and CeCe and reshape their family in ways they don't want to imagine but it will also provide them memories of a lifetime.When you read this book, you will need more than a fistful of tissues as Hammer deftly weaves the sadness of an impending loss of such magnitude with the making of special memories and some spectacularly macabre humor from Tommy. She doesn't detail Tommy's physical decline as much as she tracks it in Alexis and CeCe's reactions to him, their startled recognition in the ways he's changed, and in the deeply felt way they acknowledge the unimaginable truth of a future coming at them faster than they want. Alexis and Tommy's past slips into their present, both their intangible feelings about things (Alexis' prejudice against marriage and Tommy's belief that he doesn't want his girls to remember him sick and dying as he remembers his mother) and in the physical person of Tommy's ex-wife, an actress filming a tv show in Destin. CeCe is well drawn as a young teenager alternately living her life and facing the death of her adored dad. She both continues to act normally and to push boundaries even as she seeks the moments she needs to grieve. Tommy himself is a thoughtful and understanding character and he is mainly seen through the eyes of Alexis and CeCe although one of the chapters' narration is from his point of view. The rest of the novel slips between Alexis and CeCe's first person narratives, allowing the reader see both of them cycle through every emotion they feel not only for the situation they are facing but also as they try to start to come together as mother and daughter. They are selfish and angry and hurt and they have years' worth of disappointments to overcome but at heart, they not only come together through their shared love of Tommy, but also through their love for each other. Mistakes are made and hearts are certainly broken over the course of this novel but priorities shift and love shines through in this warm, tear-jerking story of loss and love, the life we live, and the people who connect us forever.
    • 3/5
      Walking beside a loved one with a terminal illness knowing that the days of making memories together are soon over, is possibly one of the most difficult journeys of life. “You and Me and Us” by Alison Hammer takes that walk. Relationships are explored — mother to daughter, husband to wife, friend to friend. Tommy, who coincidentally is a psychiatrist with a practice of assisting other working through difficult medical issues, quietly steers his loved ones through the loss and celebrating his bucket list. Tommy writes separate final notes to his wife and daughter and leaves a Dr. Seuss quote...”Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened,” and this quote tenderly wraps up the story and is perfect for the reader to carry away.... I received my copy through the LibraryThing early reviewer giveaway.
    • 3/5
      This book had a good premise and it did hold my interest but I do wish this would have been more of an emotional read. I think the main problem is I didn't feel any connection to the main characters and so I missed out on what could have been a good tearjerker. This was a nice distraction though from everything going on in the real world so for that reason I am thankful I read it.Alexis Gold is always working and that means she sometimes misses out on important moments in her teenage daughter's life. Her husband, Tommy, is supportive of her career and maintains a good relationship with their daughter, CeCe. When Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis he asks his wife and daughter to spend the summer with him in Destin, Florida. Alexis will have to figure out how to juggle her job while being there for Tommy just as he has always been there for her. Given Alexis and CeCe don't have the best mother-daughter relationship, knowing Tommy is the glue that holds their family together is making this situation even harder for them.The story alternates between the perspectives of Alexis and CeCe. Their relationship is just as much a part of the story as their individual relationships with Tommy. I've read many books over the years that explore mother-daughter dynamics and unfortunately I didn't find there to be anything special or memorable with this one. We all have characters we gravitate towards and while they kinda fell flat in my eyes, that doesn't mean that will be the case for every reader. At the very least this story is yet another reminder life can change in an instant so value the things that are truly important.
    • 4/5
      This book was absolutely heartbreaking to read. In all honesty, I don't think I've ever teared up while reading so many times. I didn't sob but only because I kept setting the book down to allow myself time to get myself together. It was also a hopeful read and one that I couldn't help but appreciate. The thing that really struck me about this book is the importance of family and learning what really matters. In the end, our family is what matters and thinks like work really don't matter as much. I think that the author did a great job of delving into this topic without hitting you over the head about it. She also did a really great job of portraying the difficulties working mothers can face with that work and life balance. I do think that this is a book that you want to make sure that you are in the right mindset for. It is about terminal cancer and is sad. With everything going on in the world today (which is scary enough), I would recommend making sure that you are in the right head space for a book like this which can feel dark and depressing at times. The author is able to give rays of hope throughout which I really appreciated. I just cared about the characters in this book so much! I feel like the author brought them to life for me and I almost wasn't ready for this book to end. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters (it felt like) after we had gone through so much together. And that is the mark of a truly good book!Overall, it feels wrong to say that I enjoyed this one due to the subject matter so instead I will say that I found this to be a thoughtful read that opened my heart to these characters and the struggles that they faced. I think that the subject matter could be triggering so like I said previously, be aware that this book is sad and heartbreaking at times. But also know that it is hopeful at others and such a great read overall! This is a debut author - and wow - I just cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. I will certainly be ready and willing to read more by her in the future! I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary fiction, fiction in general, and even women's fiction as there was a strong female friendship in this the book as well. Also, I just have to say that this book is told in two points of view, one is Alexis' and the other is her daughter CeCe's point of view. I think that the author did a wonderful job of portraying both of these two different points of views and the struggles that mothers and daughters can face in their relationships with one another. Recommended!Bottom Line: A heartbreaking but hopeful read that will stick with me for a long time to come.Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.
    • 5/5
      This book was a beautiful, but sad story. Alexis and Tommy are the perfect couple, each balancing out the other. Their teenage daughter is reliant upon Tommy as Alexis has always been a hardworking mother that has put work first in the past. When Tommy is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the whole family puts their lives on hold to spend Tommy's last days together at the beach.The characters in this story were well rounded and believable. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and the journey of the read. It was emotional and definitely worth the read.Reader received a complementary copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
    • 4/5
      An ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Very good debut novel. Told in alternating voices of the Tommy- the very hands on Dad who is diagnosed with advanced cancer, Alexis - the married to her work Mom, and CeCe - the 14 yo daughter with typical teenage dramas, the narration works well for the reader to piece the present with the past together. Tommy wants to spend his last months with comfort care in Destin, Florida - the place of their childhoods and some family vacations. Alexis puts her ad agency on hold, and places her family first, but it's a rocky road. CeCe is close to Tommy and won't cooperate with Alexis, plus Tommy's ex is also in town, plus a whole bunch more drama. Spoiler alert - nice ending with the wedding and then Alexis supporting Cece's dreams.
    • 5/5
      This is an emotional, beautifully written debut novel by Alison Hammer that will make you laugh and make you cry. The characters are so real - flaws and all - and even though parts of the book are very emotional and sad, the overwhelming feeling is one of love.Alexis and Tommy have been together for over 15 years and have a teenage daughter CeCe. They have many of the same problems as everyone - Mom works too much, Dad works from home and daughter and dad get along but she and her mother constantly disagree. Life is good for all of them...until Tommy finds out that he has terminal lung cancer and only has several months to live. He decides not to fight it and to enjoy what little time he has left with his family. Alexis is afraid that when Tommy dies, she and CeCe will not be able to make a family of two - that Tommy was really the glue that held them together. Can Alexis and CeCe learn to trust and respect each other again after Tommy dies and they return home?You and Me and Us is a beautifully written book about life and death, family and friends. The pain and the love the family goes through is emotional and heartwarming but is also very real and not sugar coated. This is the story of survival for this family and how they get through it with love and their friendships. These are characters that i won't soon forget.WARNING - Don't be too far away from a box of tissue when you read this - you're going to need them!Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
    • 5/5
      Grab the tissue box and be prepared to cry. I knew I would but I still was not prepared. In fact, I had to stop reading until my tears stopped flowing. This is what happens when you become so invested in the characters that they become more then just people in a book. It is almost as if they were people I have known for years. This book is mainly told through Alexis and CeCe's voices. You could feel the family dynamics as Alexis, CeCe, and Tommy's lives were torn apart by Tommy's cancer diagnosis. As the story played out; I could see where Alexis and CeCe's relationship fell apart. In a way, if it has not been for Tommy's cancer diagnosis; Alexis and CeCe may never have repaired their relationship. I read this book within a matter of hours. Yes, you read this right "hours". Once I started reading, I could not stop. I was swept away into this story. Alexis and CeCe's voices resonated with me. You and Me and Us is a must read. Author, Alison Hammer intertwines this story with reader's hearts to make this story a heart tugging book that will stay with you long after you have finished the last page.
    • 4/5
      I received the book,You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer, as an early reviewer. This is the story of Alexis, an ad-agency head who has left the parenting to Tommy, her stay at home psychologist life partner for the duration of their teenager, CeCe's, life. But all that changes when Tommy is diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He asks for one last summer at the beach where he and Alexis met as children. The three characters struggle with how to make this time as meaningful as possible as their roles change. The story is sad, thought-provoking and interesting.
    • 4/5
      An emotional, yet satisfying read. Get some tissues!New-to-me author. Great writing.I received a copy of this book via LibraryThing's Early reviewer program.
    • 2/5
      Mother and daughter having the usual teenage problems. Dad learning he is dying. They go off to spend his last days in a family home on the beach. They make the best of what is left and try to come to terms with Dad and with each other.Easy, fast read - sentimental but a nice ending, nonetheless.