The Garden Bench Symbol in Jojo Moyes' We All Live Here

Introduction: What Is the Garden Bench?

In We All Live Here, the garden bench is a physical object that first appears as Bill's handmade oak Lutyens bench, built after the death of Lila's mother, Francesca. Bill brings the bench to Lila's garden as the centerpiece of a memorial space. Later, after Bill moves out, the bench is removed. Jensen surprises Lila with a second-hand oak Lutyens bench to replace it — battered, silvered with age, and "a little scruffy." This replacement becomes a turning point for Lila, symbolising her willingness to accept imperfection, embrace new love, and find peace amid ongoing family chaos.

Where the Bench Recurs in the Novel

Chapter Five: Bill proposes making a memorial garden for Francesca. He mentions he already has a "rather nice wooden bench" — a Lutyens bench he made three months after her death. Lila agrees, and the bench is placed in the garden by the lilac.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Jensen has transformed the garden. The bench is now the focal point, sheltered by willow and acer trees beside a pond. Lila sits on it and feels peace. The bench is explicitly connected to Francesca's memory — Jensen says he planted alliums because they remind him of Lila's mother: "some fun and chaos amid the order."
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Bill moves out to live with Penelope. Jensen comes to collect Bill's bench, taking it to Bill's new home. Lila watches it go, feeling the garden hollow without it. She tells Jensen the space needs something.
Chapter Forty-One: After Violet's school play, Jensen brings Lila a replacement — a second-hand oak Lutyens bench, a little battered. He puts it exactly where Bill's bench had been. Lila sits on it with Jensen, feels "level" for the first time, and confesses she wants to be with him. This moment marks the climax of their romantic arc.
Postscript: The bench is not mentioned explicitly, but Lila's settled life implies it remains as a fixture.

How the Bench's Meaning Changes

From Memorial to Empty Space to New Beginning

Memorial (Chapters 5–24): Bill's bench is a tangible link to Francesca. Lila uses it to sit and remember her mother. It represents grief, but also the slow healing of the garden — and of Lila's emotional life. In chapter 24, the bench is part of a beautiful garden that Lila says feels like "the kind of garden that only other people have." The bench is orderly, beautiful, and tied to Bill's careful work.
Empty Space (Chapter 37): When Bill takes the bench, Lila sees the garden corner as "a hollow corner, an empty space, no longer the focal point of anything." The missing bench now symbolizes the loss of Bill's presence and the unsettled state of Lila's family after Gene's reappearance and her mother's secret letter. The emptiness mirrors Lila's unresolved feelings.
New Beginning (Chapter 41): Jensen's replacement bench is not pristine; it is "silvered with age, and a little battered." Lila says, "I don't like things that look new. It's perfect." This acceptance of imperfection reflects her new willingness to embrace a relationship with Jensen — and to let go of her anger toward Dan and her past. Sitting on the bench, Lila feels a rare, steady peace. The bench becomes a symbol of second chances, of love that is worn but real.

Character Connections

Lila Kennedy: The bench is most directly tied to Lila's emotional journey. Initially, the bench is part of her grief for her mother. Later, its removal signals upheaval. Finally, the new bench is the setting for her decision to be with Jensen — a choice to accept imperfection and move forward.
Bill McKenzie: Bill builds the original bench and cares for the garden. His bench represents his quiet, steady presence in Lila's life. When he leaves, he takes the bench, but his influence remains. Lila later rehangs the portrait of Francesca in her house, suggesting she has internalised Bill's way of honouring the past.
Jensen Phillips: Jensen creates the garden and eventually provides the replacement bench. He recognises that Lila needs a focus for her garden — and her heart. The bench he chooses is second-hand, mirroring his own pragmatic, gentle approach. He says, "I know it's a bit scruffy," and Lila loves it precisely for that reason.
Francesca (deceased): Though never appearing alive, Francesca is connected to the bench through the memorial garden. Jensen plants flowers that remind him of Francesca — "fun and chaos amid the order." The bench is a place where Lila communes with her mother's memory.

Theme Connections

Family Secrets and Reconciliation: The bench is part of the family home that Lila struggles to maintain. Its removal coincides with the revelation of Gene's secret and Francesca's affair. The new bench arrives after Lila reconciles with her father, symbolising the family's ability to rebuild.
Grief and Letting Go: The original bench is a memorial, a place to hold grief. The new bench does not replace the memory but allows Lila to sit without the weight of the past. She lets go of her anger toward Dan and her guilt about her marriage.
Blended Family Dynamics: The bench is a gathering point for the unconventional family: Bill, Gene, Jensen, the girls, even Truant the dog. In chapter 24, they eat fried chicken around the kitchen table after admiring the bench. The bench anchors the chaos of multiple generations under one roof.
Betrayal and Forgiveness: Bill's bench is built after Francesca's death — a response to the betrayal of her affair. Lila's willingness to accept Jensen's bench signals her own forgiveness of her mother and father, and of herself.
Self-Discovery and New Beginnings: The moment on the bench in chapter 41 is Lila's pivot. She tells Jensen she wants to be with him, and she feels "released" from the past. The bench is the physical site of her self-discovery.

Study Questions with Answers

1. How does the condition of Jensen's replacement bench (second-hand, battered) reflect Lila's emotional state at the end of the novel?
Answer: Jensen's bench is "silvered with age, and a little battered" — imperfect and worn. Lila says she loves it because she does not like things that look new. This mirrors her willingness to accept her own imperfections, her chaotic family, and a relationship that is not pristine but genuine. It represents her letting go of the need for a perfect life and instead embracing what is real and present.

2. Why does the removal of Bill's bench in chapter 37 create such a strong emotional reaction in Lila?
Answer: Bill's bench was the focal point of her mother's memorial garden. When Bill moves out and takes the bench, Lila sees the corner as "a hollow corner, an empty space." The bench had physically represented Bill's love, his grief for Francesca, and the stability he brought to Lila's home. Its removal makes her feel the loss of both Bill and her mother more acutely, and it underscores the unsettled state of her family after Gene's return and the revelations about Francesca's past.

3. In what ways does the garden bench connect the themes of grief and new beginnings?
Answer: The original bench is a memorial — a place to sit and remember Francesca. Lila uses it to process her grief. When Jensen replaces it, the new bench is not a memorial; it is a place for Lila to sit with Jensen, to feel peace, and to decide to move forward. The same spot that once symbolised loss now symbolises love and possibility. The transition from Bill's bench to Jensen's bench shows that grief and new beginnings can occupy the same physical space, and that letting go does not mean forgetting.

4. How does the character of Jensen use the bench to express his understanding of Lila?
Answer: Jensen knows that the garden needs a focal point after Bill's bench is removed. He chooses a second-hand oak Lutyens bench — the same style Bill made — but deliberately not new or perfect. He understands that Lila does not respond to shiny, flawless things; she responds to authenticity. By giving her a bench with history and wear, he shows that he sees her as someone who can love things that are flawed, just as she loves her messy family. His gift is both practical and deeply symbolic of his acceptance of her entire life.