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Allegra Goodman

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Andrea ...
1,898 books | 13 friends

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David
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Allegra Goodman

Goodreads Author


Born
in Brooklyn, NY, The United States
Website

Genre

Influences
George Eliot, George Orwell, Jane Austen, Cynthia Ozick, Leo Tolstoy, ...more

Member Since
May 2017


Hello, Good Readers!

My new book "This Is Not About Us" is on sale now. You can order it here.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...

My novel "Isola" is now in paperback. This is a historical novel based on the true story of a young woman who sails from France to the New World in 1542 and is marooned on an island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

I am also the author of several other books including, "Sam," a novel about a young girl's exuberance, wonder, and ambition as she comes of age.

Jenna Bush Hager picked "Sam" for her Today Show book club and said, "Sam is about as perfect of a coming-of-age story as I have ever read."

About me: I was born in Brooklyn, but I grew up in Honolulu where I did not have to wear shoes in school until fifth g
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Popular Answered Questions

Allegra Goodman My best advice is to watch, listen, and read. Watch the people around you, observe the weather, be that person, on whom nothing is lost. Listen to the…moreMy best advice is to watch, listen, and read. Watch the people around you, observe the weather, be that person, on whom nothing is lost. Listen to the way people talk; really listen to their voices so that you can write dialog that sounds real. Read widely--not just in your own genre but in others. Fall in love with your public library. Read poetry, read history, read published diaries and letters. Read books old and new. (less)
Allegra Goodman Writer's block means difficulty writing. Some people think (despairingly) that they can't write because they have nothing to say, or because they aren…moreWriter's block means difficulty writing. Some people think (despairingly) that they can't write because they have nothing to say, or because they aren't "good enough." I prefer to think of writer's block as growing pains. I've definitely experienced times when I just didn't have it in me to write another sentence--and looking back, I see that those times came when I was confused or uncertain. I had to figure out what to do next. In other words, I had to grow--to stop writing and learn something new. You remember the aches and pains you had when you were shooting up as a kid. Writer's block is like that too. Don't think of it as a malady. Think of it as sign of a growth spurt. Don't force yourself to write through it. Stop writing for a day or a week or even a month and read and think instead. Then try again after this respite, and see what happens. (less)
Average rating: 3.86 · 171,898 ratings · 20,851 reviews · 22 distinct worksSimilar authors
Isola

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 108,929 ratings — published 2025
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Sam

3.77 avg rating — 16,164 ratings — published 2023 — 7 editions
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The Cookbook Collector

3.34 avg rating — 13,520 ratings — published 2010 — 22 editions
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This Is Not About Us

3.65 avg rating — 9,544 ratings — published 2026 — 7 editions
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The Other Side of the Island

3.69 avg rating — 5,059 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions
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Intuition

3.34 avg rating — 4,330 ratings — published 2006 — 30 editions
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Kaaterskill Falls

3.70 avg rating — 3,134 ratings — published 1999 — 17 editions
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The Chalk Artist

3.43 avg rating — 2,456 ratings — published 2017 — 11 editions
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The Family Markowitz

by
3.44 avg rating — 998 ratings — published 1996 — 16 editions
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Paradise Park

3.23 avg rating — 546 ratings — published 2001 — 13 editions
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More books by Allegra Goodman…

By the Book

I'm doing the "By the Book" Q&A in "The New York Times Book Review" this summer. These questions are so much fun. Watch for me . . .
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Published on May 29, 2017 05:29

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Allegra’s Recent Updates

Allegra Goodman is now friends with Eric Britton
Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
" Yes, I believe the movie is based on the book! "
Allegra Goodman answered Amy's question: Allegra Goodman
Amy, thank you for this question, and forgive my delay responding. Somehow I did not see it here! I am so happy you enjoyed "Isola." Reading that book on a snowy day sounds perfect. As a Jewish person, I did quite a bit of thinking when I wrote about See Full Answer
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter
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This is one of my favorite stories of all time. It's the way Porter weaves together Miranda's life as a reporter, the jingoism that accompanies WWI, the almost certain death that awaits young men who go to serve, and the Spanish flu which shadows you ...more
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
Nomadland by Jessica Bruder
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I'm fascinated by the subject--American workers who become nomads because they can't afford permanent housing. I admire the reporting which combines observation, interviews, policy research, and excellent questions. And I absolutely love the storytel ...more
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin
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Like everyone else, I've seen and heard Rachel Goldberg-Polin and her husband speak out about their captive son and all the hostages of October 7th. I could hear Rachel Goldberg-Polin's voice as I read this book. It's not an artful memoir. It's a raw ...more
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
The Oak and the Larch by Sophie Pinkham
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I thought this would be interesting. I didn't expect to be a page turner as well. Pinkham hooked me from the first page where she describes the vast forests and the forest people of prehistoric Russia. This is a history of Russia through an environme ...more
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
Frog by Anne Fadiman
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A collection of exquisite essays by the astute and witty Anne Fadiman. This book is a delight. A pet frog. A printer. A "lesser poet." Each subject provides a jumping off point for Fadiman. If you love the essay you will love this book. If you want t ...more
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
Frog by Anne Fadiman
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A collection of exquisite essays by the astute and witty Anne Fadiman. This book is a delight. A pet frog. A printer. A "lesser poet." Each subject provides a jumping off point for Fadiman. If you love the essay you will love this book. If you want t ...more
Allegra Goodman rated a book it was amazing
Jane Austen in 41 Objects by Kathryn Sutherland
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This book is both gorgeous and erudite. Sutherland spotlights 41 objects important to Jane Austen's life and work. Objects she touched like her little writing table, letters she wrote, a pelisse she wore, an unfinished manuscript, the grate where she ...more
More of Allegra's books…
Quotes by Allegra Goodman  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“How sad, he thought, that desire found new objects but did not abate, that when it came to longing there was no end.”
Allegra Goodman, The Cookbook Collector

“I myself was now an island. Solitary. Brambles and five-petalled flowers were my garden. Rocks my furniture. Ocean waves my lessons. Sadness overwhelmed me and sank back. Then, like the tide, joy crept in on me again.”
Allegra Goodman, Isola

“People ask every day, "Why was I put on earth?" As if there is perhaps one reason. The truth is that there are too many reasons to count, and each reason and each soul connects to every other,”
Allegra Goodman, The Cookbook Collector

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