The Last Time I Saw You

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Berg

Narrated by: Elizabeth Berg

From the beloved bestselling author of Home Safe and The Year of Pleasures, comes a wonderful new novel about women and men reconnecting with one another—and themselves—at their fortieth high school reunion.

To each of the men and women in The Last Time I Saw You, this reunion means something different—a last opportunity to say something long left unsaid, an escape from the bleaker realities of everyday life, a means to save a marriage on the rocks, or an opportunity to bond with a slightly estranged daughter, if only over what her mother should wear.

As the onetime classmates meet up over the course of a weekend, they discover things that will irrevocably affect the rest of their lives. For newly divorced Dorothy Shauman, the reunion brings with it the possibility of finally attracting the attention of the class heartthrob, Pete Decker. For the ever self-reliant, ever left-out Mary Alice Mayhew, it’s a chance to reexamine a painful past. For Lester Heseenpfeffer, a veterinarian and widower, it is the hope of talking shop with a fellow vet—or at least that’s what he tells himself. For Candy Armstrong, the class beauty, it’s the hope of finding friendship before it is too late.

As Dorothy, Mary Alice, Lester, Candy, and the other classmates converge for the reunion dinner, four decades melt away: Desires and personalities from their youth reemerge, and new discoveries are made. For so much has happened to them all. And so much can still happen.

In this beautiful novel, Elizabeth Berg deftly weaves together stories of roads taken and not taken, choices made and opportunities missed, and the possibilities of second chances.

Critic reviews

“[Berg] has a knack for taking you right into the soul of her characters, as they respond to joy and tragedy in a perfectly imperfect way.”—Chicago Sun-Times

“A warm, unsentimental look at life way past high school—and the hope some people hold of reliving those glory days.”—People (four stars)

“For the delightful hours it takes to read this novel, it seems that the characters jumped right off the page and joined the crowd for a casual family supper.”—Chicago Tribune

“Marvelous . . . plenty of pathos and can’t-stop-laughing moments . . . Readers will care about every character.”—The Oklahoman

“Book groups are clamoring for upbeat yet significant works that are entertaining as well as enlightening; Berg’s latest novel satisfies and succeeds on both counts.”—Booklist

Delightful

Well written, interesting characters, pleasant plot. I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend you give it a try.

completely entertaining

Elizabeth Berg's narration sparkles with each character's different voice, catching the local inflections and the personality tones just perfectly. Her story is totally engaging, though yes, I'll admit the characters she chooses to highlight include some of the extremes of high school categories, but they are played out to realistic perfection, and the situations are moving as well as thought-provoking. I found the overcoming of challenges uplifting rather than depressing, and I had to laugh out loud at the way one particularly bitchy woman talks to herself inside her head. A very entertaining listen, over too soon.

Real characters

I do love Elizabeth Berg’s books. The characters are people who are just like me and the folks I know. They are gentle stories that leave me comforted. I also really like Ms. Berg’s narration. Her voice is soothing.

There really is life after high school

Would you consider the audio edition of The Last Time I Saw You to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version

What did you like best about this story?

The characters. I went to high school with every one of them and one of them was me.

Which character – as performed by Elizabeth Berg – was your favorite?

Candy

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the elderly neighbor died

Any additional comments?

This book was a reminder that there is just something about high school that never really goes away.

Truly enjoyable

This book was read by the author, Elizabeth Berg, who made the story so engrossing, that it was difficult to pause it when I had to leave. Her characters come alive and you feel as you know them. I laughed out, smiled and was brought close to tears during while listening to this book. I recommend it.