Those People Behind Us: A Novel

by Mary Camarillo

It’s the summer of 2017 in Wellington Beach, California, a suburban coastal town increasingly divided by politics, protests, and escalating housing prices—divisions that change the lives of five neighbors.

Each character confronts death, betrayal, financial decline, and loneliness as they search for home and community in a neighborhood where no one can agree who belongs.

Real estate agent Lisa Kensington juggles her job, her shopaholic husband, a mother who knows how to push her buttons, and teenagers with ideas of their own. Ray Gorman, a haunted Vietnam vet, lives with and cares for his aging mother. Keith Nelson, an ex-con, lives in his car, parked near his parents’ house. Sixteen-year-old Josh Kowalski works through the shock of his father’s abandonment by slamming on a drum set. Jeannette Larsen, an aerobics teacher numbed by horrific tragedy, turns away from her husband and toward reckless behavior.

In the end, they all discover that despite their differences, they are more connected than any of them would have imagined. 

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Literary Fiction

311 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

Mary Camarillo is the author of the award-winning novel The Lockhart Women.

Her awards include the 2022 Willa Literary Award Finalist in Multiform Fiction, the 2021 First Place Award in the Next Generation Indies for First Fiction, the 2022 Finalist for the Screencraft Cinematic Book Award, the 2021 Finalist in the American Book Awards in Women’s Fiction, the 2022 Silver Titan Award, and the 2022 Honorable Mention, Los Angeles Book Award for Regional Fiction and the 2022 Honorable Mention, Hollywood Book Award for Fiction.

Her second novel Those People Behind Us will be published in October of 2023. Her poems and short fiction have appeared in publications such as TAB Journal, 166 Palms, Sonora Review, and The Ear.

Mary writes about living in Southern California, a place she’s called home for more than fifty-five years and is still trying to understand. She had a long career with the postal service, which might be genetic—both her grandfathers were railway mail clerks. She sorted mail, sold stamps, worked in the accounting office, and went to night school, eventually earning a degree in business administration, a CPA license, and a Certificate in Internal Auditing.

She currently serves on the advisory boards of Citric Acid, An Orange County Literary Arts Quarterly, and LibroMobile, An Arts Cooperative and Bookstore in Santa Ana, California. She’s a member of Women Writing the West, Women Who Submit, and Women for Orange County. Mary lives in Huntington Beach, California with her husband, who plays ukulele, and their terrorist cat Riley, who makes frequent appearances on Instagram.

Reviews

[Mary Camarillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second novel and I'm very proud of it. I hope you enjoy it too.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neighborhoods. We have lived in a dozen over my husband's career. We lived in the inner city and in the suburbs, in resort towns and small towns, among the working class poor and the wealthy.

We retired to a city of two square miles with under 12K people. On the surface, it is a friendly place, a suburban community that feels small town. It's also a divided city. One house displayed a huge banner for Trump and next to it a house displayed a huge banner for Biden. One house had a sign supporting police and another Black Lives Matter. The new mayor's Fourth of July float was attacked as a campaign float by the last mayor.

Those People Behind Us peels back the pleasant façade of one community, revealing the hidden fear of change and of 'those people'.

The neighborhood is upscale, Beamers and Teslas in the driveways, driven by white, well-off homeowners. Lisa Kensington is a realtor. She takes pride in the community, always concerned about maintaining its best appearance and keeping it up to exacting standards.

Set in the early days of the Trump presidency, a hate group presents as a service group. Wearing a MAGA hat brings nod and scowls. Those who bring 'outsiders' from another city, of another color, are shocked by snide comments.

Personal tragedy has touched these families: the deaths of a child, an aging parent, a spouse. A young adult feels forced from his family home and is sleeping in his car on the street, raising concerns in the community, especially for Lisa. Marriages are troubled. Teens act out.

With chapters alternating characters, we come to know these people. And we feel for them. Nothing is what it appears to be on the surface. The upstanding citizen turns out to be hateful, the feared are truly caring.

An honest and thoughtful portrayal of American society in divisive times, the novel also offers hope that by finding the humanity in our neighbor we can find common ground and acceptance.

Thanks to the author for an ARC.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, yes!! Mary Camarillo has done it again! I found her debut novel (The Lockhart Women) to be a compelling read that I could not put down. The same is true for her second novel, Those People Behind Us. I was happy to receive an advance reader copy ahead of the October 2023 publication.

The novel follows a cast of characters in the "suburban coastal town" of Wellington Beach, California, located in Citrus County. (This is a humorously disguised Huntington Beach in Orange County, California, which is known for its problematic politics.) The story takes place during the Trump-era and there are references to real and horrific events, such as the Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacist rally of 2017.

It's hard to find a truly likeable character in the novel -- these are flawed people found in this fictional neighborhood that are, of course, not unlike complex and troubled people, with flaws, likely found in all neighborhoods. For example, there is a married aerobics instructor carrying on reckless, sexual hook-ups with random men and then there is an awful real estate agent who says various classist and racist things. Still, even with their flaws (some quite terrible), Camarillo lets the reader in on aspects of their lives that makes you have empathy - or at least an understanding - of why they may behave the way they do.

Camarillo is a master at crafting these suburban characters and throwing them into a spicy, delicious stew that is hard to put down. I hope she is working on novel #3, because I'm already waiting for it.

[Shannon (The Book Club Mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those People Behind Us by Mary Camarillo is one of those books that you’ve probably never heard of, take a chance on, get totally invested in, inhale in a few sittings, and then recommend to all of your friends. I want to thank my friend, Jen over at @mrsboomreads for putting this one on my radar. I was mindlessly scrolling on goodreads, and saw that she added it to her shelf. The title grabbed my attention, and after reading the synopsis, I downloaded it immediately.

Set in a small coastal town in 2017 during the Trump era, this novel dives deep into some serious topics like: racism, privilege, homelessness, infidelity, economic insecurity, and political differences. Through garage sales, protests, musical festivals, gym workouts, community bulletins, and city planning, it tackles the complexities of neighborhood dynamics. The characters in this novel are a total mixed bag! My gosh, they’re all so raw, realistic, and flawed in their own wonderful ways. You’re gonna absolutely hate some, love some, feel for some, and relate to some. They’ll remind you of someone you know, or have seen around your own neighborhood. You can’t help but get swept up in their individual struggles and concerns.

GREAT FOR FANS OF:

- Neighborhood dramas
- Life in suburbia
- California setting
- Multiple perspectives
- Politically-charged novels
- Marriage issues
- Teenage behavior & rebellion
- Complex & gritty characters

I’ve always been super curious about human nature, behavior, and what makes people tick. It’s probably why I really enjoy reading character-driven stories from perspectives other than my own. That’s definitely a big reason why this novel worked so well for me. It allows you to get into people’s heads. I hope this novel will entertain you, but most of all, open your eyes and minds. Perhaps it will give you a better understanding of the people who live around you, and remind you that at the end of the day, we’re really not all that different.

5/5 stars for Those People Behind Us! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Carlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, loved this book for a number of reasons. The first thing I picked up on was that this book is the hard copy embodiment of the phrase, "You never know what someone is going through." It reminded me of a video I saw some years back of an author talking about how he writes his stories and characters. He'd start with a simple phrase, "Frank is a jerk." And then he'd expand. "Frank was a jerk to the barista." And then he'd expand further. Why was Frank a jerk to the barista? "Frank was a jerk to the barista because his wife has cancer and there's nothing he can do about it." And that's when the story starts to take off.

Camarillo's characters are much the same. With every new introduction, I made judgments about her characters. One in particular, I disliked when it was revealed that she was doing something that I found to be morally wrong. I disliked her character from that point on and frowned when I reached chapters told from her perspective. And then I learned more about her and, in an instant, changed my tune. I learned about a distinct tragedy in her life that explained her behavior, and I felt empathy and pain for her. And this happened with many other characters too and I think that's the point. People make snap judgments about one another and treat each other based on assumptions, and Camarillo challenges her characters and her readers to be better than that.

She writes about some of the most difficult dividing lines that we face today: us vs them, tradition vs change, race, politics, wealth, and status. You flip through the pages of her book and watch as the characters draw lines against one another, learn more information, and change their tune, only to redraw the lines again.

It was humbling to read this story and see the problems of our world and of ourselves in it. And it ends so open ended, but with a strong sense of hope that people can change and learn and grow. I absolutely loved this book and I think it would do the world a lot of good if everyone else read it and learned to grow from it too.

[David Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Community life in an exclusive neighborhood whose occupants, although diversely different, deal with common problems and the things life throws at them along the way.
Told from the POV's of five main characters with very current and timely themes of politics, grief, economics and change that are handled deftly with an astute awareness of time and place. Some of the subject matter was at times frustrating (probably due to my own political leanings) but I appreciated the author's seemingly neutral stance on some of these topics as she expressed views from all sides throughout the novel. I especially liked how by the end the characters stories came together with a cohesiveness for a satisfying conclusion and left me with a sense of hope for the books characters as well as myself moving forward.

Thank you to the author, She Writes Press and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.

[Melissa P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Won in a giveaway👩‍👦

I really, really loved this book. Most of the main characters have their own chapters and their lives are all connected. They have very different personalities, lifestyles and political views. I found a lot of this very interesting. This world feels so divided, especially now, that a lot of different points of view were very relevant with what I've heard and what I've read online. This book is written so well and there's quite a few intense parts involving politics, hate, violence, etc. Keith was my favorite character by far, but I really liked a lot of the others. The emotions described felt very real to me. I don't want to give really anything away too specifically but I 100% recommend this book. It's a keeper. Thank you to the author, Mary Camarillo (and a special thank you for signing the book), She Writes Press & Goodreads for my ARC of this book. I very much loved it. Happy reading! 🇺🇸☮️🌏❤️🫶✌️

[Debra Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

As skillfully as regional writers like Elizabeth Strout and Susan Straight, Mary Camarillo captures her diverse beach town community with such precision, you feel you are eavesdropping on real people’s lives. I’m not talking Reality TV characters, but real people, with all their dreams and disappointments, faults and frailties. While there is quite a cast of characters—men and women of all ages with varied pasts and strong opinions—each character’s story will draw you in, and as their stories become linked, you’ll be completely immersed in this riveting novel.

Like Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Camarillo’s annoying Lisa Kensington is the center of the novel, as she struts through her turf, Prestige Haven housing tract, leaving her real estate newsletters and planting small American flags on every lawn. You will both love and hate her, I promise. Though Camarillo touches on hot topics such as homelessness, low-income housing, racism, and political differences, she lets her characters express their differing views and leaves it to her readers to draw their own conclusions.

What I liked most about this beautifully crafted novel was the ultimate truth woven throughout these linked stories—despite our differences, most of us are more alike than we are different—with a few unfortunate exceptions. In my opinion, Mary Camarillo is definitively the voice of Southern California’s coastal suburbia.

[Stuff We Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

When distressed, perfectionistic, classist and conservative Lisa Kensington meets “Arnold Schwarzenegger type” Keith Nelson, a homeless 24-year-old ex-con, she thinks he is a dangerous criminal scoping her house and stalking her daughter. She is even more suspect because he works for her husband, Eric. Keith's bulky exterior and criminal record are misleading, however, because beneath his frame and misdeeds is a lonely and sensitive man, whose only friend is racist and unpleasant. Jeanette Larson, a married aerobics instructor, mourns her 17-year-old son's death and realizes that Keith Nelson, one of the men she had a one-night stand with, is a few parking spots from disrupting her life. Down the street, there's Ray Murdoch, a restless army veteran, who believes there's more to Keith Nelson than his parents know. And then there is Josh Kowalski, the 16-year-old who used to be best friends with Lisa Kensington's son, Tyler, and is dealing with his father's abandonment. “People are more likely to be connected to each other than not,” Gloria, Jeannette's friend, asserts, as she defends the “Kevin Bacon thing.” Six Degrees of Separation is something I was unaware existed until I read this book. The concept is not, on its own merit, as profound as it sounds. And this is because it is a no-brainer that most humans are, unintentionally, drawn to what is similar and familiar to them. This is clear in the kinds of partners, or friend groups, or work circuits they keep, and even through the town they decide to live in. Familiarity offers stability and similarity offers a sense of connection.

With this concept as a core theme of Mary Camarillo's Those People Behind Us, we are introduced to five distinct and multigenerational characters in Wellington Beach, California, an idyllic suburban U.S. town, who have different lives, yet inadvertently circle each other. Their diverse backgrounds lead to misunderstandings and assumptions, which serve to push them apart. In the end, however, they discover they are more alike and less threatening than expected. Cushioning and supplementing the book’s interiority is the political war raging in the background. It does not take the reader too long to recognise that Wellington Beach reflects the political divide present within the larger U.S. society. Everyone picks sides and thinks everyone else is on the wrong side. Everyone is seeking to defend themselves, their ideals and their communities, and everyone else is a threat because they have wrong values. When speaking in Republican circles, it is almost unacceptable to be a Democrat; in the same vein, it is unpleasant to admit to being a Republican in Democratic circles, especially if that political badge means you are a Trump supporter. It is not inconceivable, then, that living in this polarised political environment, even those who are neutral, will have to take a side to fit in, even if only briefly. In this idyllic suburban town, everything and everyone is not what they seem. This facade, therefore, begs the question, Do we truly know our neighbours? What does the neighbourhood we choose to live in say about us?

Camarillo displays fear, grief, loss, growth and acceptance in a manner that shows an acute sense of perception, and I am intrigued now by The Lockhart Women, her other production. Susan Sontag defines a writer as someone who observes the world. I go a step further and define a brilliant writer as someone who deftly represents the world. Through simple and elegant prose (albeit a few typographical errors), Those People Behind Us is Camarillo’s deft and empathetic representation of suburban U.S. in 2017, at the medial point of the Trump mania, and I am glad that I read it. Books like this remind me of Rachel Kushner's The Mars Room, which I think most people should read for its vivid portrayals of ordinary people in seemingly unconventional circumstances.

For introducing me to Mary Camarillo I extend my gratitude to BookSirens for my copy of the book.

[Charles Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every neighborhood has those people who define the attitudes of that neighborhood. Author Mary Camarillo gives us five who inhabit the California neighborhood of Wellington Beach. They are a cross section of such a neighborhood – the struggling teen looking for an identity other than the one his family wishes for him, the war veteran carrying his burdens with him on his bicycle up and down the cul-de-sacs, the real estate lady who wishes to imprint her notions on Wellington Beach, the exercise teacher who finds herself emotionally caught between one generation of men and another, and the loner who lives in his car, unceremoniously ousted from the family home over vague and nebulous reasons.
The sixth character is indeed the neighborhood. Wellington Beach is an upscale place so familiar to the reader as the setting of so many TV sitcoms – the innocuous BRADY BUNCH in the 70s comes to mind, but perhaps it is even more like the location for DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES of a more recent vintage, where people snoop and snipe at each other as their own secrets, desires and intentions mingle and mix with the essence of each other.
Each chapter, told in present tense, is in the voice of one of the five main residents of Wellington Beach. The reader learns about each character; their backstory, their foibles, their concerns. The further into the book, the more the five characters cross paths. There are adventures for each member of the neighborhood; some of which are serious, some are quirky. There is a good pace to the book, never too fast, never slow, and that is a tribute to the skill of the author.
The world is full of individuals – and the five characters in THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND US are certainly individuals, bringing some humor, some quirks, and some neighborhood play for the reader to experience.
Suffice it to say a door-to-door salesman would have fun getting to know the people of Wellington Beach.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🙋🏼‍♀️ if you enjoy character driven stories
🌑 witnessed the total eclipse in 2017
📰 like to read the newspaper
👀 want multiple POVs

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

It’s the summer of 2017 in Wellington Beach, California, a suburban coastal town increasingly divided by politics, protests, and escalating housing prices, divisions that change the lives of five neighbors. Each character confronts death, betrayal, financial decline, and loneliness as they search for home and community in a neighborhood where no one can agree who belongs.

Real estate agent Lisa Kensington juggles her job, her shopaholic husband, a mother who knows how to push her buttons, and teenagers with ideas of their own. Ray Murdach is a haunted Vietnam vet, also caring for his aging mother. Keith Nelson, an ex-con, lives in his car, parked near his parent’s house. Sixteen-year-old Josh Kowalski works through the shock of his father’s abandonment by slamming on a drum set. Jeannette Larsen, an aerobics teacher numbed by horrific tragedy, turns away from her husband and toward reckless behavior. In the end, they all discover that despite their differences, they are more connected than any of them realize.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I love stories with a lot of dialogue and character drive plot lines so I knew I was going to enjoy this one as soon as I realized that we had not just one or two POVs, but five! Five neighbors have more in common with another than they’d like to think, and I loved seeing all of their stories come together in different ways. We also see a ton of growth, in everyone, some more than others, but all in positive ways. I think my favorite character was Ray or Keith, and I would have liked to see a bit more from Ray’s perspective. My favorite comeback or change of heart was definitely Lisa. That last line made me think there was a chance for her after all. I wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel for this one!

[Suanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Those People Behind Us, author Mary Camarillo writes of Wellington Beach, California, a beachside community caught in the crossfire between liberals and Trumpsters during the summer of 2017, but the story could be set in any American town. She build multiple strong characters that interact in a realistic manner. 

Lisa Kensington, a real estate agent, is juggling career, family, and a live-in mother-in-law. She thinks she knows what’s best for her community and works hard to keep it on the straight and narrow. A NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) person, she opposes the low-income housing the city planners are building nearby, worrying it will lower the property values in Wellington. One of the best parts of this novel are Lisa’s newsletters that she distributes to the entire neighborhood. They show her preoccupation with her life there and her attempts to preserve it. Keith Nelson, a juvenile delinquent turned ex-con, lives in his car since leaving his parents’ home. He’s employed but barely getting by. Ray Gorman is a live-in son, a Viet Nam vet caring for his aging mother. Josh Kowalski is a teenaged drummer, reeling from being abandoned by his father. Jeannette Larsen is an aerobics instruction grieving for her nineteen-year-old son who died in a traffic accident and seeking solace in sex with strangers. These characters all know one another and interact in their neighborhood, but do they really know each other.

Camarillo’s plot juggles so many aspects of American life: racism, economic insecurity, politics (liberals and Trumpsters inhabit these pages), MAGA (Make America Great Again), loss, grief, geriatric relatives, and rebellious teenagers. A great look not just at individual characters, but their complete milieu.

[Sue Ready · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel captures the complexities of a community of people living in the fictional town of Wellington Beach, CA during the summer of 2017. It was a time when politics, protests, housing market prices, and fear of racism ran rampant causing divisions among the residents in an affluent suburban neighborhood. The story is told from multiple perspectives of five eclectic neighbors, a realtor, an aerobics teacher, an ex-con, a Vietnam vet, and a teenage boy. As their backstories unfold characters are confronted with issues of death, betrayal, financial decline, and loneliness while learning to accept people for who they are. Readers will find author Mary Camarillo's novel a commentary on how a group of people can learn to navigate the challenge of real-life problems but along the way be able to find a connection with one another despite their differences.

Camarillo, a skillful writer, has crafted well-developed characters. I enjoyed the addition of Lisa Kensington, a realtor in the story, and her newsletter for the housing tract. Interspersed within the story are snippets from this newsletter giving the reader subtle opinions and additional pertinent information of events ongoing in the neighborhood. The author excels in eliciting emotional empathy from her readers with the characters' feelings and possible explanations of their actions. Periodically during my reading, I found myself emotionally attached to the characters wondering what will happen next and to their well-being. Camarillo has a good sense of time and place and is able to craft a story that has a sense of realism to keep readers engaged. In the end, you will find yourself imagining what life might look like for each going forward.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those People Behind Us is a well crafted and interesting novel. In this character driven novel the authour takes us into the lives of several families in what seems to be a upper-middle class neighborhood in California.

Fair warning - this novel takes place in the summer of 2017, Trump is heavily discussed, as are themes of racism and classism.

The book really draws out the reasons why people may stay quiet instead of standing up for what's right, how well meaning people looking for a purpose or human connection can be drawn into bad things, how grief can isolate people, and how truly damaging our stereotypes and prejudices can be.

But, I struggled with it, really through no fault of the novel. It wasn't the themes, I think it is important for us to read and understand others experiences. Including confronting our own prejudices and stereotypes, even if it is uncomfortable. It was just that many of the characters were so despicable, and for much of the novel I wasn't sure we were going to see any character growth. While this novel is a realistic look into an average neighborhood. I just kept looking for it to be more of an indictment of all the bad behavior and all the bad ism's.

In the end we did see some character development, as we saw members of this neighborhood start to find some common ground and we saw some individuals start to stand up and speak up, or at least recognize their shortcomings.

If you enjoy character driven novels, this is an interesting one to add to your reading list.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m usually not a fan of books that go down the political path, with all its pettiness and hate, but this eclectic cast of characters intrigued me.

Set in upscale Wellington Beach, California, it’s the summer of 2017, and political unrest is high. As we got the inside scoop on five neighbors, I felt like I was watching some drama/sitcom. Each neighbor has hurts and experiences that shape their thoughts: a veteran, grieving parents, cheaters, even a young man living in his car. But for all their differences, they, surprisingly, do find connections.

As much as the political backdrop wasn't for me, I enjoyed these well-written characters and their struggles. You could dissect this and say this community was a microcosm of the nation at the time.

The most interesting thing for me was that it was easy to quickly make assumptions about these neighbors - who would genuinely be helpful, who might turn hateful, and so on. But, the author shows that our prejudices, judgments, and assumptions are ill-founded and irrational, especially when we don’t know a person’s true character or heart. I think we could all learn to be better about that in life.


Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @marycamel13 for a spot on tour and a gifted book.

[Shelley Blanton-Stroud · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I read this book as an advance reader copy.)

Mary Camarillo’s novel in linked stories, Those People Behind Us, inspects and connects the lives of people living the same Southern California planned community.

The people in each household have distinct backgrounds, losses, and fears, and sometimes they directly oppose each other, and yet they are connected, in the streets they drive, the schools they attend, the places where they eat and drink. When two elderly women die somewhat gruesome circumstances, the neighbors are sometimes touched, sometimes entertained. This all takes place in a particular time and place, Citrus County (a fictionalized Orange County) in the rise time of Maga. We watch as the break up of community begins, but is not yet full-throated. We see the forces that cause people in such a time and place to break into their more granular silos.

Thoughtful and riveting. In THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND US, Mary Camarillo trains an astute yet empathetic eye on the residents of one Southern California planned community, in the year 2016, inspecting the mental and emotional cracks in our foundation at the brink of the Trump era.

[Kate Anger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A layered, moving, thought-provoking novel. Does that sound ponderous? It is not! There were plenty of "WHAT?!" moments where I thought, "OMG! Did that really just happen?!" Mary Camarillo kept me on my toes in a good way. She thwarted my expectations as a reader while giving the characters unexpected, but plausible hardships to overcome.

The interwoven characters in the novel are a collection of "others," people I wanted to "leave behind," people I was frustrated with, but, ultimately, people with attitudes and attributes I recognized (sometimes in myself). It was strange not to have a character that I felt like rooting for, but then, as the novel moved on, Camarillo developed that characters in such a way that I felt empathy for most all of them--along with moments of admiration. Even though it's set in 2017, the world of Wellington Beach reflects very much where we are today, on the threshold of yet another so-help-us-god election cycle. The novel demonstrates just how connected we are to the people we'd like to dismiss. The end of the book is really beautiful and I found myself tearing up (no spoilers on one of the most lovely images of the book).

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Camarillo, the Author of “Those People Behind Us,” has written a unique and thought-provoking novel. The genre for this novel is Fiction, and the timeline is 2017 in Wellington Beach, California. The author vividly describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, flawed, and dysfunctional. The characters in this neighborhood setting are diverse people with their emotional problems, issues, tragedies, prejudices, and political points of view. Their town is also affected by politics, economics, and diversity. Although these neighbors have differences and strong opinions about each other, they are also connected through different avenues.

I love how the author discusses the importance of acceptance, communication, and forgiveness. The author also mentions the importance of family, friends, neighbors, compassion, empathy, and hope. I recommend this intriguing novel to others.

[Debbie Rozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up listening to this one over the course of a day. It’s a neighborhood drama set in California with multiple points of view that also visits the political climate after the 2016 election.

I liked everything about this read. It has characters ranging from 96 years old to Vietnam Vets to the 40ish to the 20ish and on down to the teenagers. Every perspective was unique.

I think the politically charged climate in this neighborhood felt very timely and relevant. It included real events that happened during 2017.

The drama in the book is out of bounds good. From grumblings about an affordable housing complex being built beside 2 million dollar homes to the deaths of aging residents as well as meddling neighbors and people dealing with grief, this book has the spectrum of living inside the fishbowl of a neighborhood.

Be careful reading this one with your neighborhood book club, it could stir up a hornets nest..which might not be a bad thing!!

[Carolyn Lee Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pitch perfect rendering of American suburban relationships
Relationships between white suburban neighbors in the U.S. are rarely the focus of novels (Dani Shapiro’s Signal Fires is one insightful exception). Mary Camarillo captures the nuances of those relationships among middle class white folks so perfectly that this novel feels like it could be set in any of our neighborhoods in 2017. She shows the respectful distance as well as the awkward intimacy of people who have watched each other from across the street for decades. The themes of teenage exclusion, homelessness, racism, NIMBY, and the rise of MAGA supporters in a formerly noncontroversial town are woven in lightly, while the true focus remains on discovering who these neighbors really are, especially when things get tough. A stunning accomplishment for Camarillo, showing off her writing chops in this second novel. A deeply satisfying read.

[Rhys Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms Camarillo has done it again. Taken us inside the home (and heads) of a modern family. Not one family this time, but several who all live near one another. Each chapter introduces us to a new character with their problems, until they all come together, at least in proximity. They have Wellington Beach in common, but that is where similarities end. Stopping to think about what goes on behind closed doors and minds in the neighborhood where one lives is an insight I found appealing. Set during the infancy days of MAGA, it's easy to see how damaged or vulnerable people were recruited (brainwashed) into believing they were doing good. Some welcoming the 'cause' with open arms while others kind of just find themselves there. I find myself thinking of several of the characters even after finishing the book. It's about so much more than the above mentioned MAGA though, it's about how we as humans want to belong somewhere, to something, even if we get confused or duped sometimes.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @marycamel13 for my gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.

This character-driven novel is set in 2017, at the beginning of the Trump presidency, a time when the country was divided. The characters, connected by living in the same community, are dealing with many issues, including loss/death, marital infidelity, homelessness, financial worries, job stress, and guilt. One character, in particular, has lots of negative preconceptions about others. In the end, everyone pulls together.

This book has a large cast of characters with ongoing life dramas and varying political opinions. I worried that I would get the characters mixed up; however, the story unfolds in such a way that I had no difficulty keeping up with who was who or what their particular problems were. In fact, each person’s drama was so intriguing, I kept turning the pages to see what would happen. I admit to being surprised at the opinions expressed by various characters, but it all works out in the end.

Read this if you enjoy reading about drama.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely my kind of book. Characters were interesting and I like books where each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective. Can be a bit confusing to begin with but if you stay with it all becomes clear. It’s also interesting to see a character and their world from their perspective & then to see them through the eyes of another. This was particularly true of Keith. Such a misunderstood person and so easily lead. I dreaded how things would turn out for him so was somewhat relieved at the end.
Author seems to have real insight into family dynamics and the lack of understanding between parents and children. At times they live in completely different worlds and seem to speak different languages. It’s a wonder we get through!
Will now read her first novel - definitely recommend this author.

[Gretchen Cherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Camarillo sets out to do an incredibly challenging thing for fiction writers—that is to create a dozen fully formed and three dimensional characters, each with their own narrative arc, as they bump against and into each other in the small housing development of Wellington Beach, California. A full throttle reintroduction to the early years of MAGA, NIMBY, and Covid, along with underemployment, homelessness, and familial relations, so entirely relevant today. I highly recommend this well imagined, and beautifully executed story. Camarillo proves again, in this second book, that she’s a smart writer for us all to watch. And her realtor character’s graphically designed newsletters are a delightful device and great touch!

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @bluecottageagency @shewritespress @marycamel13 for this #complimentary ARC/copy to read and review using my own voice.

I’m so happy to be able to have another opportunity to read Mary Camarillo’s books. This book is definitely different from the Lockhart Women. In this book, Mary introduced many different and intriguing characters that mashed together into a compelling and complex story. The story has many trigger warnings and Mary Camarillo has done an incredible job telling the story to entice the readers to see the 3D version of the characters and fully understand the book. The ending is powerful and it doesn’t disappoint. It definitely gave me the opportunity to affirm that there are different individuals out there who are simply copacetic while others are disparate yet they makeup this chaotic society. Sane in the insane world!!!

A must read if this comes out in October!!!

[Deborah Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Camarillo's first novel, The Lockhart Women, was so good, I wondered if her second would measure up. I'm happy to report that it does. Set in 2017, in the midst of the Trump era, Those People Behind Us takes place in one Southern California neighborhood and is populated with people who seemingly have nothing in common. But as they grapple with politics and prejudice, privilege and poverty, life and loss, they find they are more connected than any of them could imagine. You will connect with them as well. And don't be surprised if you find yourself rooting for characters whose values may clash with your own, because in this author's skilled hands, you'll find that their humanity is unmistakable.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'This neighborhood is special. I don't want it to change.'
' If there's one thing I've learned in my life,' Vickie says,' it's that everything changes.'"

Wellington Beach California is a small coastal town in flux. we see these changes through the eyes of five of the residents in this snippet of life during the summer of 2017.

Each character: the Real Estate agent, the Vietnam Vet, the ex con, the young man whose father abandoned the family and the aerobics instructor, are as fascinating as author Mary Camarillo can make them. And, you just can't stop reading. This is my second time with her books and I am more. than hooked. Highly Recommended 5/5

[ Disclaimer: I received this book as a gift from the author. In no way has it affected my review]

[Ann Goltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Those People Behind Us' is, essentially, a story about community. It's told through the eyes of five people who live in a neighborhood in southern California.

Initially, each POV character is introduced individually, establishing their own storylines. It took quite a while for these storylines to do more than merely intersect with each other, which made for a very slow start to the book. Once the characters' stories began feeding each other, however, the pacing picked up and I found myself immersed and engaged. By the end of the book I was fully invested.

The characters are well-developed and have decent arcs. All five of them grow and experience a substantial change in their outlook. The issues are timely and important.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were multiple POV’s and I loved that it involved a wide age range. Being a character driven novel, this made the pace pick up a little earlier than some I have read. Each character was giving me “is it me, am I the drama?” vibes at some point. They all thought they were worst of than their neighbors, which lead a couple of them to be a little judgmental. I am all for some drama but I also like it when there are lessons learned and this book had a little of both. It seemed like a realistic community where having different view could make some hesitant to speak up especially with the topics that were present. I found myself invested in where each character was going to end up even though I did not particularly find them likable. I really enjoyed Lisa’s newsletters she sent out to the neighborhood even though I would be one to toss it if I got something like that in the mail. Overall another good book by this author.

Thank you @marycamel13 and @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

These People Behind Us by Mary Camarillo is a well written story that I enjoyed reading.

The characters are well written and fleshed out. There are many characters in different families set in California. The time period is 2017 and one thing that I didn't like was all the talk of Trump. I don't know that it added all that much to the story except that I understand about talking about different income levels and races.

The characters were interesting in the choices they made, which sometimes felt based on their class.

Classism, racism, grief are all topics that the author addressed in this thoughtful novel.