'A very special book about a family with a secret. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think.' Liane Moriarty, No. 1 bestselling author of BIG LITTLE LIES

'An intelligent, life-affirming, emotionally charged story' Prima

Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is the 'fascinating story of a thoroughly modern family and the giant, multifaceted love that binds them... Sparkles with wit and wisdom' (Maria Semple). Perfect for readers of THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS and THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT.

This is how a family keeps a secret...and how that secret ends up keeping them.
This is how a family lives happily ever after...until happily ever after becomes complicated.
This is how children change...and then change the world.

This is Claude. He's five years old, the youngest of five brothers, and loves peanut butter sandwiches. He also loves wearing a dress, and dreams of being a princess.
When he grows up, Claude says, he wants to be a girl.

Rosie and Penn want Claude to be whoever Claude wants to be. They're just not sure they're ready to share that with the world. Soon the entire family is keeping Claude's secret. Until one day it explodes.

Laurie Frankel's THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS is a novel about revelations, transformations, fairy tales, and family. And it's about the ways this is how it always is: change is always hard and miraculous and hard again, parenting is always a leap into the unknown with crossed fingers and full hearts, children grow but not always according to plan. And families with secrets don't get to keep them forever.

What readers are saying about THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS:

'This writing is glorious. A fabulous book. Topical, moving, full of magic'

'One of the most amazing and thought-provoking books I have ever read. It's warm, well observed and funny'

'A beautiful love story of two people who meet, fall hopelessly in love and then create a wonderful unique family of five'