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The Good House
How can you prove you're not an alcoholic?
You can't.
It's like trying to prove you're not a witch.
Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of an historic community on the rocky coast of Boston's North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. Hildy is a descendant of one of the witches hung in nearby Salem, and is believed, by some, to have inherited psychic gifts. Not true, of course; she's just good at reading people. Hildy is good at lots of things. A successful real-estate broker, mother and grandmother, her days are full. But her nights have become lonely ever since her daughters, convinced their mother was drinking too much, staged an intervention and sent her off to rehab. Now she's in recovery--more or less.
Alone and feeling unjustly persecuted, Hildy needs a friend. She finds one in Rebecca McCallister, a beautiful young mother and one of the town's wealthy newcomers. Rebecca feels out-of-step in her new surroundings and is grateful for the friendship. And Hildy feels like a person of the world again, as she and Rebecca escape their worries with some harmless gossip, and a bottle of wine by the fire--just one of their secrets.
But not everyone takes to Rebecca, who is herself the subject of town gossip. When Frank Getchell, an eccentric local who shares a complicated history with Hildy, tries to warn her away from Rebecca, Hildy attempts to protect her friend from a potential scandal. Soon, however, Hildy is busy trying to cover her own tracks and protect her reputation. When a cluster of secrets become dangerously entwined, the reckless behavior of one threatens to expose the other, and this darkly comic novel takes a chilling turn.
THE GOOD HOUSE, by Ann Leary is funny, poignant, and terrifying. A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town, this spirited novel will stay with you long after the story has ended.
You can't.
It's like trying to prove you're not a witch.
Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of an historic community on the rocky coast of Boston's North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. Hildy is a descendant of one of the witches hung in nearby Salem, and is believed, by some, to have inherited psychic gifts. Not true, of course; she's just good at reading people. Hildy is good at lots of things. A successful real-estate broker, mother and grandmother, her days are full. But her nights have become lonely ever since her daughters, convinced their mother was drinking too much, staged an intervention and sent her off to rehab. Now she's in recovery--more or less.
Alone and feeling unjustly persecuted, Hildy needs a friend. She finds one in Rebecca McCallister, a beautiful young mother and one of the town's wealthy newcomers. Rebecca feels out-of-step in her new surroundings and is grateful for the friendship. And Hildy feels like a person of the world again, as she and Rebecca escape their worries with some harmless gossip, and a bottle of wine by the fire--just one of their secrets.
But not everyone takes to Rebecca, who is herself the subject of town gossip. When Frank Getchell, an eccentric local who shares a complicated history with Hildy, tries to warn her away from Rebecca, Hildy attempts to protect her friend from a potential scandal. Soon, however, Hildy is busy trying to cover her own tracks and protect her reputation. When a cluster of secrets become dangerously entwined, the reckless behavior of one threatens to expose the other, and this darkly comic novel takes a chilling turn.
THE GOOD HOUSE, by Ann Leary is funny, poignant, and terrifying. A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town, this spirited novel will stay with you long after the story has ended.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
854 people are currently reading
22486 people want to read
About the author
Ann Leary
11 books1,120 followersAnn Leary is the author of the novels, THE CHILDREN, THE GOOD HOUSE, OUTTAKES FROM A MARRIAGE, and the memoir, AN INNOCENT, A BROAD.
Her bestselling novel, THE GOOD HOUSE, has recently been adapted as a motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. Ann’s New York Times essay, “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive,” was adapted for Amazon Prime's Modern Love TV Series and stars Tina Fey and John Slattery. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages and she has written for numerous publications including Ploughshares, NPR, Real Simple and the New York Times.
Her new novel, THE FOUNDLING, will be published on May 31, 2022.
Ann and her husband Denis Leary live in New York.
Her bestselling novel, THE GOOD HOUSE, has recently been adapted as a motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. Ann’s New York Times essay, “Rallying to Keep the Game Alive,” was adapted for Amazon Prime's Modern Love TV Series and stars Tina Fey and John Slattery. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages and she has written for numerous publications including Ploughshares, NPR, Real Simple and the New York Times.
Her new novel, THE FOUNDLING, will be published on May 31, 2022.
Ann and her husband Denis Leary live in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,586 reviews
April 24, 2015
Skeptical. That's how I felt when I first started listening to The Good House. The narrator can make or break the read. When I first heard Mary Beth Hurt's voice I didn't know enough about the character she was to bring to life in this first person narration. I don't quite know how to explain it. Ms. Hurt's tone was a bit shrill, craggy even varying from low rasp to high giddiness in a split second. As I became acquainted with the Hildy Good there is only one word to describe this performance. Perfect!
Hildy Good, a mother, a Gammy, maybe even a witch, lives in a coastal, close-knit New England town patterned after Marblehead. Her marriage ends when her husband decides his sexual affiliation is male. By day she is a successful realtor, by night she struggles with alcoholism. Her denial is hard to watch, sad, but don't for a moment think this book is a downer. It is wickedly funny and made me laugh out loud so many times that if you saw me walking and listening you might have wondered. I loved, loved every minute of it. Like any small town, the people provide lots of fodder for fun and gossip. I loved them all, particularly Hildy’s old boyfriend, Frank, now the town jack of all trades, the fix-it man as Hildy calls him. Many subjects creep in and provide the background; horses, psychology, ghosts, dogs, relationships; all have their say. The locale allows a landscape of old New England homes, fishing boats, lobster traps, beach, with the smell and sounds of the ocean in the air. The detailed descriptions of homes will have you salivating to own place by the sea but the real draw hands down is Hildy herself. Hildy Good is spirited, a shrewd businesswoman, frequently sharp tongued and a contrast of a bitter and loving woman. She is a woman that I came to care about and one I wish I knew and could call friend.
I am positive that the blend of good story, good writing by Ann Leary, and excellent narration by Mary Beth Hurst made this a winner.
Hildy Good, a mother, a Gammy, maybe even a witch, lives in a coastal, close-knit New England town patterned after Marblehead. Her marriage ends when her husband decides his sexual affiliation is male. By day she is a successful realtor, by night she struggles with alcoholism. Her denial is hard to watch, sad, but don't for a moment think this book is a downer. It is wickedly funny and made me laugh out loud so many times that if you saw me walking and listening you might have wondered. I loved, loved every minute of it. Like any small town, the people provide lots of fodder for fun and gossip. I loved them all, particularly Hildy’s old boyfriend, Frank, now the town jack of all trades, the fix-it man as Hildy calls him. Many subjects creep in and provide the background; horses, psychology, ghosts, dogs, relationships; all have their say. The locale allows a landscape of old New England homes, fishing boats, lobster traps, beach, with the smell and sounds of the ocean in the air. The detailed descriptions of homes will have you salivating to own place by the sea but the real draw hands down is Hildy herself. Hildy Good is spirited, a shrewd businesswoman, frequently sharp tongued and a contrast of a bitter and loving woman. She is a woman that I came to care about and one I wish I knew and could call friend.
I am positive that the blend of good story, good writing by Ann Leary, and excellent narration by Mary Beth Hurst made this a winner.
July 27, 2013
This audio book is laugh out loud funny. I’m a real estate broker and I’m pretty sure that I’ve run into more than a few Hildys over the years. Mary Beth Hurt is the narrator for the audio version. Her voice and performance are perfectly suited for this charming and bittersweet novel. I can’t imagine reading the book because her voice conjures up visions of Hildy (the realtor) and all of the other wonderful New England characters.
Hildy Good is 60 years old, an alcoholic, luxury home real estate agent and the mother of all unreliable narrators. She is recently out of a stay in an alcoholic treatment center after an intervention prearranged by her two adult daughters. She’s certainly flawed but funny as hell and likeable in spite of being totally self-deluded about her ability to control her drinking. The author completely nails her obsession with alcohol. Another endearing character is Frank, her old high school friend and now the town handyman/garbage collector. I loved Frank. He was such a sweet soul and so patient with Hildy’s many speed bumps.
Small town life and the residents of this upscale community at the North Shore of Massachusetts are skillfully depicted by the author. This is an excellent book, totally enjoyable and often hilarious. I look forward to reading more books by Ann Leary.
Hildy Good is 60 years old, an alcoholic, luxury home real estate agent and the mother of all unreliable narrators. She is recently out of a stay in an alcoholic treatment center after an intervention prearranged by her two adult daughters. She’s certainly flawed but funny as hell and likeable in spite of being totally self-deluded about her ability to control her drinking. The author completely nails her obsession with alcohol. Another endearing character is Frank, her old high school friend and now the town handyman/garbage collector. I loved Frank. He was such a sweet soul and so patient with Hildy’s many speed bumps.
Small town life and the residents of this upscale community at the North Shore of Massachusetts are skillfully depicted by the author. This is an excellent book, totally enjoyable and often hilarious. I look forward to reading more books by Ann Leary.
January 8, 2021
“My husband, Scott, used to tell me that I’d have been hanged as a witch myself had I lived in another time. He meant it as a sort of compliment, believe it or not.”
I’m conflicted about this one. On one hand Hilda was a genuinely funny lady in a snarky way but on the other hand as the story went on she turned abrasive and the level of toxicity went through the roof for me a few times too many. And I couldn’t see anything remarkable in Rebecca so Hilda’s curiosity/fondness for her flummoxed me.
rating: ★★½
I’m conflicted about this one. On one hand Hilda was a genuinely funny lady in a snarky way but on the other hand as the story went on she turned abrasive and the level of toxicity went through the roof for me a few times too many. And I couldn’t see anything remarkable in Rebecca so Hilda’s curiosity/fondness for her flummoxed me.
rating: ★★½
February 14, 2013
Jodi Picoult and I do not see eye to eye on books.
I bought this book last weekend because I had read several good reviews here, but didn’t really look at the cover until my boyfriend was parking the car in front of his building. I pulled the book out of the bag, glanced at the back cover, and said, “Uh oh.” Andrew looked at me for a sec and then said, “Oh...is that a cover blurb from Jodi Picoult?”
This is the third – maybe fourth – time that a book featuring a cover blurb from Picoult has let me down.
The Good House is about Hildy, an alcoholic in denial in a small town north of Boston. She’s 60, divorced from a gay husband, and--as she frequently likes to remind us--the most successful real estate agent in town. She survived one stint in rehab a few years earlier after her two adult daughters staged an intervention, but she continues to drink a bottle of wine a night alone in her home, telling herself that it’s not a problem as long as no one knows about it.
There’s a couple of B-stories, too. Hildy befriends Rebecca, a woman who’s new in town. Unhappily married to a billionaire and obsessed with horses, Rebecca has been slow to make friends in the town, but then Hildy discovers that she’s having an affair with the psychiatrist who rents office space above Hildy. Hildy is also trying to sell a house for Claire, a woman whose son has a severe developmental disability and needs to move closer to an appropriate school. Hildy also describes a teenage fling she had with Frank, who grew up to be the town’s fix-it man/garbage collector.
I had several problems with this book, the first of which is how Leary tries to tie these myriad stories together. I don’t know how to explain it without being too spoilery, but the threads don’t seem to connect until the last fifty pages and so I spent the first two hundred pages wondering what the purpose of all this was. Then, all of a sudden, Leary pushes all the stories together and it just didn't feel natural at all. An unspoilery example is that I didn’t understand why Hildy and Rebecca continued to speak to each other after a certain point. Leary was trying to suggest that they befriended each other because they were both a little lonely and needed a friend who couldn’t judge one another’s past indiscretions, but neither one was benefiting from the relationship and Leary wasn’t giving me a reason to believe that one of them wouldn’t just say, “Leave me alone already.”
There are also a lot of attempts at metaphor or symbolism or what could be foreshadowing that Leary tries and fails to inject into her story. For example, Hildy is descended from one of the first women tried for witchcraft in Salem. She’s perfected a party trick in which she pretends to read people’s minds by planting suggestions and reading their reactions and Leary often drops bits of dialogue about Hildy is kind of witchy…but that really goes nowhere and has no pertinence to anything.
Also, in the opening pages of the book Hildy, a real estate agent, talks about how she can often tell you what a family was like based on the condition of their house when they are getting ready to sell it. That makes perfect sense, but then Hildy goes on to give an example of how she once saw Rebecca planting flowers in her night gown at six in the morning and realized she was depressed. That’s all well and good, Hildy, but you assessed that from her irrational behavior, not the state of her house.
The biggest problem, for me, though, is that Hildy is just not a good choice for a narrator. She’s an alcoholic in denial and full of resentment – meaning she’s incredibly unlikable and wants to place irrational blame on everyone but herself – but she also spends a good chunk of the book in various state of drunkenness. On more than one occasion, Leary transitions from drunk Hildy one evening to hung-over Hildy the next morning, only to have another character reveal that Hildy had actually blacked out and didn’t remember her preposterous behavior of the previous night. I get that that’s how it is when you drink uncontrollably, but it makes for awkward book narration. Leary needs to study up on unreliable narrators a bit more before the next book.
She also needs to study up a bit on mental illness, because the way that she depicts it in this book troubled me quite a bit. Rebecca is clearly unstable, but in the kind of over generalized “crazy” way that’s prevalent in pop culture as opposed to a thoughtful representation of a specific disorder or disease.
I bought this book last weekend because I had read several good reviews here, but didn’t really look at the cover until my boyfriend was parking the car in front of his building. I pulled the book out of the bag, glanced at the back cover, and said, “Uh oh.” Andrew looked at me for a sec and then said, “Oh...is that a cover blurb from Jodi Picoult?”
This is the third – maybe fourth – time that a book featuring a cover blurb from Picoult has let me down.
The Good House is about Hildy, an alcoholic in denial in a small town north of Boston. She’s 60, divorced from a gay husband, and--as she frequently likes to remind us--the most successful real estate agent in town. She survived one stint in rehab a few years earlier after her two adult daughters staged an intervention, but she continues to drink a bottle of wine a night alone in her home, telling herself that it’s not a problem as long as no one knows about it.
There’s a couple of B-stories, too. Hildy befriends Rebecca, a woman who’s new in town. Unhappily married to a billionaire and obsessed with horses, Rebecca has been slow to make friends in the town, but then Hildy discovers that she’s having an affair with the psychiatrist who rents office space above Hildy. Hildy is also trying to sell a house for Claire, a woman whose son has a severe developmental disability and needs to move closer to an appropriate school. Hildy also describes a teenage fling she had with Frank, who grew up to be the town’s fix-it man/garbage collector.
I had several problems with this book, the first of which is how Leary tries to tie these myriad stories together. I don’t know how to explain it without being too spoilery, but the threads don’t seem to connect until the last fifty pages and so I spent the first two hundred pages wondering what the purpose of all this was. Then, all of a sudden, Leary pushes all the stories together and it just didn't feel natural at all. An unspoilery example is that I didn’t understand why Hildy and Rebecca continued to speak to each other after a certain point. Leary was trying to suggest that they befriended each other because they were both a little lonely and needed a friend who couldn’t judge one another’s past indiscretions, but neither one was benefiting from the relationship and Leary wasn’t giving me a reason to believe that one of them wouldn’t just say, “Leave me alone already.”
There are also a lot of attempts at metaphor or symbolism or what could be foreshadowing that Leary tries and fails to inject into her story. For example, Hildy is descended from one of the first women tried for witchcraft in Salem. She’s perfected a party trick in which she pretends to read people’s minds by planting suggestions and reading their reactions and Leary often drops bits of dialogue about Hildy is kind of witchy…but that really goes nowhere and has no pertinence to anything.
Also, in the opening pages of the book Hildy, a real estate agent, talks about how she can often tell you what a family was like based on the condition of their house when they are getting ready to sell it. That makes perfect sense, but then Hildy goes on to give an example of how she once saw Rebecca planting flowers in her night gown at six in the morning and realized she was depressed. That’s all well and good, Hildy, but you assessed that from her irrational behavior, not the state of her house.
The biggest problem, for me, though, is that Hildy is just not a good choice for a narrator. She’s an alcoholic in denial and full of resentment – meaning she’s incredibly unlikable and wants to place irrational blame on everyone but herself – but she also spends a good chunk of the book in various state of drunkenness. On more than one occasion, Leary transitions from drunk Hildy one evening to hung-over Hildy the next morning, only to have another character reveal that Hildy had actually blacked out and didn’t remember her preposterous behavior of the previous night. I get that that’s how it is when you drink uncontrollably, but it makes for awkward book narration. Leary needs to study up on unreliable narrators a bit more before the next book.
She also needs to study up a bit on mental illness, because the way that she depicts it in this book troubled me quite a bit. Rebecca is clearly unstable, but in the kind of over generalized “crazy” way that’s prevalent in pop culture as opposed to a thoughtful representation of a specific disorder or disease.
December 19, 2015
The Good House by Ann Leary is a wonderful book. I listened to the audiobook and was glad I did. Actress Mary Beth Hurt was the narrator and did a fantastic job. Her voice was gravelly and just perfect for 60 year old Hildy Good.
Taking place in a small seaside town in Boston's North Shore, we are shown what it is like to live by the sea. Hildy, a real estate broker, knows many of the town's inhabitants and we are vividly brought into the every day lives of all types of characters. Hildy, herself, is dependent on alcohol, but in denial. Some parts of the story are difficult to listen to, especially when she has had one of her blackouts. My favorite relationship in the book is the long time friendship Hildy has with Frank, the town's junkman and millionaire in disguise.
Frank takes such good care of Hildy without her realizing it.
Personally I really took to this book as I live North of Boston and spend a lot of time sea glass hunting on the beaches of Gloucester and Rockport.
4.5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up due to the audiobook.
Taking place in a small seaside town in Boston's North Shore, we are shown what it is like to live by the sea. Hildy, a real estate broker, knows many of the town's inhabitants and we are vividly brought into the every day lives of all types of characters. Hildy, herself, is dependent on alcohol, but in denial. Some parts of the story are difficult to listen to, especially when she has had one of her blackouts. My favorite relationship in the book is the long time friendship Hildy has with Frank, the town's junkman and millionaire in disguise.
Frank takes such good care of Hildy without her realizing it.
Personally I really took to this book as I live North of Boston and spend a lot of time sea glass hunting on the beaches of Gloucester and Rockport.
4.5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up due to the audiobook.
February 18, 2013
My five star book for the year arrived early it seems, and in rather a roundabout way - the title came up on my library's newly acquired audio downloads lists, and as I'm a fan of actress Mary Beth Hurt, I figured the story would at least be easy to listen to, if not riveting. I was right on that score, but it was so well written that I found myself looking forward to each session.
First of all, I'm a Massachusetts native who's never spent any time on the North Shore, but had no trouble picturing action as it took place, with the characters resonating fully - they were definitely not "stock" ones. Some reviewers found the number presented a bit tough to keep track of, but there aren't all that many principal players: Hildy, Frankie, Peter and Rebecca. Accept that the rest are supporting players to advance the plot, and you'll do fine.
With that said, let's talk about Hildy ... you want to shout at her, shake her, smack her (perhaps), but in the end, you want her to be okay. If you've read the blurbs, you know already that she's an unreliable narrator - to say she lacks self-awareness would be putting it (too) mildly. She's emerged from a 28-day (more or less forced) alcohol rehab, which she resented then, and is still bitter about when we meet her. Leary reveals pieces of her past, indicating that our heroine loves the role of Big Fish, though the Small Pond, perhaps not so much. She's made a name for herself, a truly outstanding businessperson, unlike the Townies to whom she feels superiority; however, she's older, alone, and no raving beauty. Perfect conflict for a drinking problem, no?
No spoiler - thanks again to those blurbs - that she resumes her drinking not far into the book, which anyone can see will cause Big Problems as the story progresses - "trainwreck" territory, but how bad will things get, and will Hildy "reform"? Plenty, and maybe. The tension ratchets up for last part, almost as though Gillian Flynn (of Gone Girl fame) had ghostwritten a couple of chapters.
Mary Beth Hurt, and the narrators of Flynn's novel, each deserve Audie awards for their voices: true six star performances!
First of all, I'm a Massachusetts native who's never spent any time on the North Shore, but had no trouble picturing action as it took place, with the characters resonating fully - they were definitely not "stock" ones. Some reviewers found the number presented a bit tough to keep track of, but there aren't all that many principal players: Hildy, Frankie, Peter and Rebecca. Accept that the rest are supporting players to advance the plot, and you'll do fine.
With that said, let's talk about Hildy ... you want to shout at her, shake her, smack her (perhaps), but in the end, you want her to be okay. If you've read the blurbs, you know already that she's an unreliable narrator - to say she lacks self-awareness would be putting it (too) mildly. She's emerged from a 28-day (more or less forced) alcohol rehab, which she resented then, and is still bitter about when we meet her. Leary reveals pieces of her past, indicating that our heroine loves the role of Big Fish, though the Small Pond, perhaps not so much. She's made a name for herself, a truly outstanding businessperson, unlike the Townies to whom she feels superiority; however, she's older, alone, and no raving beauty. Perfect conflict for a drinking problem, no?
No spoiler - thanks again to those blurbs - that she resumes her drinking not far into the book, which anyone can see will cause Big Problems as the story progresses - "trainwreck" territory, but how bad will things get, and will Hildy "reform"? Plenty, and maybe. The tension ratchets up for last part, almost as though Gillian Flynn (of Gone Girl fame) had ghostwritten a couple of chapters.
Mary Beth Hurt, and the narrators of Flynn's novel, each deserve Audie awards for their voices: true six star performances!
February 8, 2015
I stopped drinking for good when I was 22 years old (thank you, Joseph Smith :). That was 13 years ago, and it probably wasn't a moment too soon. It was starting to get a little too much, a little too important, and people around me were starting to take notice. But had I continued, I could easily have grown to be Hildy Good. I recognized a lot of my old self in this character. This is exactly what it's like to be in denial about your dependence to alcohol. I was really blown away by the author's insight and ability to show this denial in a completely believable way from the alcoholic's point of view. Some reviewers said that this was a funny book, but I wasn't laughing. I found this story to be deadly serious and real. I enjoyed it, but it was not a comfortable read for me. There are scenes in this book that really made me cringe. I thought it was so well done and perceptive. So despite a bit of a slow start, this book really worked for me on multiple levels. 5 stars. I won't be forgetting this one.
March 7, 2016
Hildy Good is a middle aged alcoholic. Off the wagon, on the wagon, hanging at it sides and at other times, right underneath it. It’s the only way she knows how to cope. At work, she is a successful real estate agent in Boston’s North Shore but is struggling with maintaining her share of the market. With family, her husband left her as he discovered he was gay and her daughters held an intervention and got her into rehab for the mandated 28 days. With friendships, her newest friend stalks the shrink she had an affair with. In her romantic life, she struggles to reconcile the ‘garbage man’ she occasionally sees of years gone by, with the man he was to the man he is. She is surprisingly a likeable and flawed character and I actually sympathized with her at various times throughout the story. There were some surprising twists and turns and overall, it was an unexpected good read. I give it 4 ★.
January 27, 2019
An insightful and brilliant look into the damaged pysche of a drunk, the woman in question is 60-ish and looks successful and happy on the outside, but is a mess. Her own daughters' sponsor an intervention for her and she goes to rehab against her will, but secretly drinks again as soon as she gets out. She has frequent black-outs and drives during them.
She befriends a new client (the main character is a real estate agent) a young woman who is equally damaged and they feed off each other, encouraging each other's bad behavior, and send them into a spiral of destructive actions with another's suicide as a result.
She befriends a new client (the main character is a real estate agent) a young woman who is equally damaged and they feed off each other, encouraging each other's bad behavior, and send them into a spiral of destructive actions with another's suicide as a result.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2013
Hildy Good, the star of Leary's wrenching, darkly funny novel, is a 60-something real estate agent with a gay ex-husband, two ungrateful daughters, a bizarre friendship with her small town's most gorgeous new resident, and a penchant for drinking wine alone at night. She is not, definitely not, an alcoholic, as Good tells us over and over-- even as we witness her skinny-dipping, drunk-driving, making rambling phone calls, and passing out in her cellar, not to mention the exquisitely painful details of the next morning's humiliating hangovers.
If Leary made Good too sympathetic or likeable, this book would have turned into dull Picoult-esque tripe, chick lit masquerading as women's literature. After all, what single woman wouldn't sympathize with Good, a former wife who was tossed aside by her husband, a mother who has become a walking credit card for her struggling adult daughter, a hard-working small business owner struggling to stay afloat in the corporate sea. Leary goes in the opposite direction, layering Good with narcissism and self-denial that only highlights her deep, bitter well of loneliness. Through all her struggles, Good is her own worst enemy. We watch her make mistake after mistake, fail and promise never to fail again, and we pity her and worry for her, and then want to slap her across the face until she gets some sense. Good is, to put it simply, a great character, who will probably turn out to be one of the most memorable of 2013.
The other tightly-drawn characters in the book include Rebecca, the wealthy newcomer whose perfect facade eventually slips and reveals a needy, unhinged, incredibly unhappy woman; Peter, the town psychologist who is drawn to Rebecca like she's an undertow he's unable to escape; and Frank, the town handyman who shares a complicated history with Hildy and always seems to turn up when she needs him. (I loved Frank.) Leary does an amazing job of creating an entire village of great characters with beautifully detailed back stories that provide so much context for the events we watch unfold.
My two burning questions: When is Ann Leary's next book coming out and when can we see The Good House: The Movie?
If Leary made Good too sympathetic or likeable, this book would have turned into dull Picoult-esque tripe, chick lit masquerading as women's literature. After all, what single woman wouldn't sympathize with Good, a former wife who was tossed aside by her husband, a mother who has become a walking credit card for her struggling adult daughter, a hard-working small business owner struggling to stay afloat in the corporate sea. Leary goes in the opposite direction, layering Good with narcissism and self-denial that only highlights her deep, bitter well of loneliness. Through all her struggles, Good is her own worst enemy. We watch her make mistake after mistake, fail and promise never to fail again, and we pity her and worry for her, and then want to slap her across the face until she gets some sense. Good is, to put it simply, a great character, who will probably turn out to be one of the most memorable of 2013.
The other tightly-drawn characters in the book include Rebecca, the wealthy newcomer whose perfect facade eventually slips and reveals a needy, unhinged, incredibly unhappy woman; Peter, the town psychologist who is drawn to Rebecca like she's an undertow he's unable to escape; and Frank, the town handyman who shares a complicated history with Hildy and always seems to turn up when she needs him. (I loved Frank.) Leary does an amazing job of creating an entire village of great characters with beautifully detailed back stories that provide so much context for the events we watch unfold.
My two burning questions: When is Ann Leary's next book coming out and when can we see The Good House: The Movie?
November 17, 2013
I really enjoyed this book, it also scared me to death. A small New England town where the Good family has lived for generations, dating back to the Witch Trials where one of the Good women was burned at the stake. The main character Hildy Good is a top Realtor, and also an alcoholic. We get to see the inner workings of her full blown denial of this disease. Toward the end of the book I was ripping through the pages as it darn near became a thriller. I just couldn't put it down. It had me laughing, and then filled with terror. I highly recommend this one.
February 11, 2013
Can't remember the last time I had such a wonderful time reading a novel. This was brilliantly and humorously done with a very unforgetable character, Hildy at the forefront. I actually envisioned Hildy, as a real person in one of my groups, who I have not personally met but from her humorous postings and her cute avatar, without the alcohol problem, and this added to my enjoyment, Hildy is a divorcee, a mother of two daughters who are on their own, had two dogs, is a real estate agent and is a very big personality with many witty opinions and a huge case of self denial. Although this is great fun to read, at its heart it does tackle a very serious problem, one Hildy must come to terms with in her own way and in her own time. Does she? Well read it and find out.
February 7, 2015
This book started out all over the place for me, but finally came together, and I realized it was more about the disease of alcoholism than witches and Salem.
60 year old Hildy Good is a successful Real Estate Broker selling upscale historic homes on Boston's North Shore, and is a descendent of one of the witches hung during the Salem Witch Trials back in the 1600's. (she often uses this information to entice her clients) Hildy, however, is in denial about her drinking problem which leads to many mishaps. It is written in a humorous nature, but also worrisome and suspenseful at times.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel, especially Frank, the garbageman (who is probably a millionaire) and Hildy's on and off boyfriend.
October 22, 2015
I just really liked this book! It started a bit slow I thought but it then sucked me right in. The characters are so "real". It was one of those stories I had to keep telling myself "it's fiction Melanie, they aren't real". That's a good indicator for me that I'm going to rate it high. I loved Hildy even though I would have liked to smack her sometimes. It made me laugh and it made me sad. I found out the author is Denis Leary's wife so I googled her and read an article about her writing this book. She also has a problem with alcohol which I'm sure is why it is so true to life. Can't wait for the movie!
July 27, 2015
4 stars for the story and 5 stars for the audio narration. I listened to The Good House on audio, and I liked the story but the audio really made it fabulous. The story is told from Hildie's point of view. Hildie is a 60 year old divorced real estate agent in a small town in Massachusetts and very much an alcoholic in denial. The story itself is clever and well done. Hildie flits back and forth between the present and her past and the town's past. As a real estate agent, she seems to know everyone's business. As an alcoholic in denial, she is a master at rationalizations and has very little insight into her own business. The story -- which focuses on Hildie's somewhat inadvertent involvement with a the illicit relationship between two of her acquaintances in town -- subtly creeps towards a tense and surprising ending.The raspy expressive voice of the reader is perfect and adds so much life and texture to the story. She so credibly takes us through the roller coaster of Hildie's rationalizations and remorse. A success, a celebration, a slight, a harsh word, a reward for not having had drink recently all sound like perfectly reasonable excuses for another drink as explained by this narrator. And then just as persuasively the narrator adopted just the right tone to express Hildie's dispirited feelings when she realizes she has done something foolish. I found myself loving Hildie and finding her irritating as hell -- which is precisely the intended effect. The Good House is mostly humorous, but Leary nevertheless manages to treat Hildie's alcoholism with due seriousness. It's very skilfully written and brilliantly narrated.
Thank you to some of my GR friends for bringing this audio book to my attention. I am happy to receive recommendations for equally well done audio books!
Thank you to some of my GR friends for bringing this audio book to my attention. I am happy to receive recommendations for equally well done audio books!
October 18, 2022
I don’t know about you, but every time I see a trailer for an upcoming film release I immediately come to Goodreads to check if it was originally a book. Thus was the case with . . .
Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline???? Be still my old Boomer heart!
I snatched a hard copy up from the library post haste and prepared myself for a Hallmark sort of time. And this was sorta Hallmarky with a bit of a later in life/second chance at romance storyline, but no one was more shocked than me that there was so much more to chew on here than I had suspected.
Hildy has been the leading real estate agent in her neck of the woods for quite some time, but the market is flailing and she runs the risk of potentially losing her mortgaged-to-the-hilt house if things don’t pick up soon. It doesn’t help that she’s still paying alimony to her ex-husband as well as pretty much supporting one of her adult daughters. Oh and speaking of, what a fine payback those girls gave to Hildy after she’s been nothing but a pillar of society their entire life . . . AN INTERVENTION???? As I said, blurbs/movie previews are deceiving on The Good House and this is the story of not only Hildy, but also her interactions with pretty much the entire community of Wendover, Massachusetts. I simply gobbled it up. If you are a fan of “chick lit” then cluck cluck kids ‘cause this is one that should not be missed.
I’m giving it all the Stars. What a pleasant surprise this reading experience turned out to be –especially when I went in with very few expectations.
Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline???? Be still my old Boomer heart!
I snatched a hard copy up from the library post haste and prepared myself for a Hallmark sort of time. And this was sorta Hallmarky with a bit of a later in life/second chance at romance storyline, but no one was more shocked than me that there was so much more to chew on here than I had suspected.
Hildy has been the leading real estate agent in her neck of the woods for quite some time, but the market is flailing and she runs the risk of potentially losing her mortgaged-to-the-hilt house if things don’t pick up soon. It doesn’t help that she’s still paying alimony to her ex-husband as well as pretty much supporting one of her adult daughters. Oh and speaking of, what a fine payback those girls gave to Hildy after she’s been nothing but a pillar of society their entire life . . . AN INTERVENTION???? As I said, blurbs/movie previews are deceiving on The Good House and this is the story of not only Hildy, but also her interactions with pretty much the entire community of Wendover, Massachusetts. I simply gobbled it up. If you are a fan of “chick lit” then cluck cluck kids ‘cause this is one that should not be missed.
I’m giving it all the Stars. What a pleasant surprise this reading experience turned out to be –especially when I went in with very few expectations.
March 9, 2015
I really liked this book. After several very intense and somewhat disheartening reads, I was looking for something "lighter." You could argue a book narrated by a lonely alcoholic in deep denial isn't exactly light fare, but the narrator, Hildy, made it entertaining and appalling in equal measure. This woman has some issues!
Hildy's escapades and all of her rationalizations kept me glued to the book - I wondered where all of the drinking and blackouts and secrets would land her. Towards the end, I sensed the writer was flailing a bit, trying to determine how to end Hildy's story. For a brief period, I was afraid Leary was going to make it a "murder mystery." To me, the last few chapters were the weakest part of the book - it felt rushed and there was really no true ending. It just stopped. Never my favorite kind of ending, I crave resolution!
Nevertheless, good story telling and a compelling unreliable narrator - 4 stars.
Thanks for Picador for the advance reader copy and apologies to Picador as well for taking so long to get to it.
Hildy's escapades and all of her rationalizations kept me glued to the book - I wondered where all of the drinking and blackouts and secrets would land her. Towards the end, I sensed the writer was flailing a bit, trying to determine how to end Hildy's story. For a brief period, I was afraid Leary was going to make it a "murder mystery." To me, the last few chapters were the weakest part of the book - it felt rushed and there was really no true ending. It just stopped. Never my favorite kind of ending, I crave resolution!
Nevertheless, good story telling and a compelling unreliable narrator - 4 stars.
Thanks for Picador for the advance reader copy and apologies to Picador as well for taking so long to get to it.
April 30, 2015
I feel compelled to comment on this wonderful book that is a new top favorite. I would never have guessed by its simplistic cover how it could be so touching and on so many levels, and in ways that I was not expecting as the story progressed. I should mention that I started out reading the book and enjoying it, but halfway through discovered my library had the audio version available so I started listening and following along with the book because the narrator’s voice made the story come alive. I think almost anyone can relate to at least one of the characters in this book, but I was touched by the story of the endearing main character and her journey through discovering herself, and also enjoyed the supporting characters and their roles. This author is so talented in her ability to take a sad topic and add a sense of humor to make the story enjoyable. Although I must confess there were times I found myself laughing, then almost felt guilty for doing so. I look forward to reading more from Ann Leary and highly recommend this audio version.
March 9, 2025
I grew up on the South Shore, though in the seventies and in a town less affluent than Marblehead. It can be argued quite effectively that the North Shore and the South Shore are different worlds but this story is the embodiment of life in a small Massachusetts town. The cast of characters could have been plucked from anywhere around here. Within minutes of listening there was no doubt in my mind that the author was from here.
Once again I'm late to the party on this one as most of my friends here have already read this and written excellent reviews. For that reason I will keep this brief. This book is a gem. It is the story of a town, its history and its inhabitants, as seen through the eyes of one idiosyncratic resident with her own history and challenges. The story covers a lot of ground: family relationships, loneliness, alcoholism, denial, infidelity, friendships, the mingling of past and present, life in a seaside town. It is unexpectedly touching at times, wildly funny, deadly serious. Believable and very real, I loved this!
I cannot recommend the audio highly enough. I doubt I would have enjoyed this as much had I read it myself. The audio performance is stellar and deserving of the highest awards. She brought this character, this town, this story to life in a way that can only be described as exceptional. 4.5 stars.
Once again I'm late to the party on this one as most of my friends here have already read this and written excellent reviews. For that reason I will keep this brief. This book is a gem. It is the story of a town, its history and its inhabitants, as seen through the eyes of one idiosyncratic resident with her own history and challenges. The story covers a lot of ground: family relationships, loneliness, alcoholism, denial, infidelity, friendships, the mingling of past and present, life in a seaside town. It is unexpectedly touching at times, wildly funny, deadly serious. Believable and very real, I loved this!
I cannot recommend the audio highly enough. I doubt I would have enjoyed this as much had I read it myself. The audio performance is stellar and deserving of the highest awards. She brought this character, this town, this story to life in a way that can only be described as exceptional. 4.5 stars.
July 16, 2013
3.5 stars for The Good House by Ann Leary
I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book about a reformed alcoholic but a couple of goodread friends recommended it and I had to give it a go and I am so glad I did as it is a wickedly entertaining and yet sad read.
Hildy Good is a middle-aged outspoken New England Realtor who is top of her game or so she thinks but is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town and herself. I loved the depiction of small town life and the relationships formed and broken.
We all know a Hildy Good and I think that while this book is an entertaining look at a real problem it somehow gives the reader an insight into the world and mind of an alcoholic and yet this is done in an entertaining way. I would love to read this book for my local book club as I think it would make an excellent discussion book.
An easy and entertaining read and a book I will recommend.
I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book about a reformed alcoholic but a couple of goodread friends recommended it and I had to give it a go and I am so glad I did as it is a wickedly entertaining and yet sad read.
Hildy Good is a middle-aged outspoken New England Realtor who is top of her game or so she thinks but is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town and herself. I loved the depiction of small town life and the relationships formed and broken.
We all know a Hildy Good and I think that while this book is an entertaining look at a real problem it somehow gives the reader an insight into the world and mind of an alcoholic and yet this is done in an entertaining way. I would love to read this book for my local book club as I think it would make an excellent discussion book.
An easy and entertaining read and a book I will recommend.
January 7, 2015
I bought this a couple of months ago and probably would have read this book sooner but the cover looked like it might be kind of boring. This is a case of don't judge a book by its cover!!! I absolutely loved "The Good House" even though it took me forever to finish because of the holidays, but it was an easy book to put down for a week and get right back into. Now grant it I'm from New England, grew up riding horses and my family is in real estate, but that's not why I loved it. I loved it because of Hildy. She was hysterical!!! There are some twists that I did not see coming that made it a thrilling read, too. This book made me laugh so hard! Alcoholism is not a funny subject but this book is hysterical. I don't know how Leary pulled it off but she did. I think it's because the writing and characters are so well done. I highly recommend it!!! I'm so glad it is being made into a movie starring Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. I will be the first person at the theatre. It's going on my favorites shelf! :)
December 29, 2018
It's not often I come across a book that I'm not too keen on, but unfortunately with this book that's exactly how I felt. I simply couldn't connect with the storyline at all and I definitely couldn't connect with the main character, Hildy Good. In fact a couple of times whilst reading this book I just wanted to reach out and give Hildy a good hard shake and tell her to wake up to herself.
I feel like I'm on the outer with this one as many people loved and enjoyed this book, but I guess that's the fantastic thing about reading is that we all have different views. So PLEASE don't let my review put you off from reading this book because you might really enjoy it as many other readers have. Give it a go and decide for yourself.
I feel like I'm on the outer with this one as many people loved and enjoyed this book, but I guess that's the fantastic thing about reading is that we all have different views. So PLEASE don't let my review put you off from reading this book because you might really enjoy it as many other readers have. Give it a go and decide for yourself.
November 11, 2014
I really enjoyed this read because it seemed real. It wasn't laced with happy circumstances because, let's face it, life isn't usually that way especially for an off-the-wagon alcoholic. This book was frightening in its realism and I devoured it.
November 28, 2016
4.5 ~ rounding up for the fabulous audio narration.
March 9, 2013
I didn't actively hate this book, which is my normal requirement for listing something as two stars, but nothing in it added up. So two stars it is.
Hildy Good, a 60 year-old divorced alcoholic real estate agent, with two grown daughters, prides herself in being a lifelong townie in a the small town, Wendover, located in Boston's posh North Shore.
While the setting was appealing and the situation of being a "normal" person amid so much wealth gave Hildy an edge, the book dove into soap opera drama quickly and never recovered.
At first the focus is newcomer Rebbeca McAllister (and her kids and older husband) whom Hildy sells a house to. Then the book shifts and becomes a tale of the psychiatrist who rents office space from Hildy and happens to be having an affair. Then the book shifts yet again, and becomes the tale of Hildy's old high school boyfriend Frank, and the renewal of their relationship. (Frank was the only character I liked).
Then, with nowhere left to go, all the subplots turn on each other -- all of which have virtually nothing to do with Hildy -- and somehow the book is over, without impacting Hildy in any significant way.
Because Hildy is drunk through so much of the book, I was never sure if what she was experiencing was the truth. In the end there was no insight. No arc. No reason for any of the characters -- that had been endlessly set up -- to even exist. So, I had no idea what I'd just rattled through 292 pages for. I felt cheated and frustrated.
*Two asides:
-- The cover is fantastic and one of the best I've seen in the last few years. The cozy New England feel of that yellow house in the snow was the reason I picked the book up to begin with.
-- The author, I learned after the fact, is the wife of comedian Denis Leary. Huh.
Hildy Good, a 60 year-old divorced alcoholic real estate agent, with two grown daughters, prides herself in being a lifelong townie in a the small town, Wendover, located in Boston's posh North Shore.
While the setting was appealing and the situation of being a "normal" person amid so much wealth gave Hildy an edge, the book dove into soap opera drama quickly and never recovered.
At first the focus is newcomer Rebbeca McAllister (and her kids and older husband) whom Hildy sells a house to. Then the book shifts and becomes a tale of the psychiatrist who rents office space from Hildy and happens to be having an affair. Then the book shifts yet again, and becomes the tale of Hildy's old high school boyfriend Frank, and the renewal of their relationship. (Frank was the only character I liked).
Then, with nowhere left to go, all the subplots turn on each other -- all of which have virtually nothing to do with Hildy -- and somehow the book is over, without impacting Hildy in any significant way.
Because Hildy is drunk through so much of the book, I was never sure if what she was experiencing was the truth. In the end there was no insight. No arc. No reason for any of the characters -- that had been endlessly set up -- to even exist. So, I had no idea what I'd just rattled through 292 pages for. I felt cheated and frustrated.
*Two asides:
-- The cover is fantastic and one of the best I've seen in the last few years. The cozy New England feel of that yellow house in the snow was the reason I picked the book up to begin with.
-- The author, I learned after the fact, is the wife of comedian Denis Leary. Huh.
July 7, 2017
Absolutely loved this book, the story, the characters Hildy Good and her sometime boyfriend Frank, and the narrator Mary Beth Hurt was just perfect. Hildy is a successful Massachussetts real estate broker/business owner, with a nice income, 2 beautiful daughters, an adorable little grandson, a beautiful home... and a drinking problem. Her daughters embarrassed her with an intervention and forced rehab, so now she doesn't drink... in front of her daughters. Mostly she gets hammered alone at home, starting at 5 pm and continuing long into the night until she passes out. The next day she will almost always deny being drunk at all, and then be reminded of skinny dipping in the river, drunk phone calling, or getting in her car and driving somewhere. You know this isn't... good. There is a sub-plot of a new woman in town who bought a house from Hildy and is in dire need of psychological help, and the therapist who helps her. Also enjoyed the commentary on small towns and small businesses.
I highly recommend this, especially the audio as it a shear delight hearing Hildy's snide remarks that she makes about everyone. The smile never left my face, and I often laughed out loud, although it does become more serious toward the end.
I highly recommend this, especially the audio as it a shear delight hearing Hildy's snide remarks that she makes about everyone. The smile never left my face, and I often laughed out loud, although it does become more serious toward the end.
November 23, 2012
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. The blurb made it seem like it was a light-hearted romp in a small New England town, but it also mentioned that the main character, the narrator was an alcoholic in denial. How can a book about an alcoholic be any kind romp? Well, somehow, it manages to be just that.
Hildy, the narrator, is a ball of fun. She is in complete denial about her alcoholism but her voice is so fresh and light that we kind of go into denial with her. That’s what makes her such an interesting character to read about. She is completely unreliable as a narrator, omitting what she wants, but the more we read, the better we like her. There are lots of characters, including the obsessive Rebecca who comes across as both creepy and pitiful, but Hildy is definitely the one you’ll love.
The writing is deceptively simple, but there is a good amount of careful planning on the author’s part. That’s why the story goes so smoothly. The one thing that disappointed me, as it seems to be the case in too many of the books I’ve recently read, was the rushed ending. We didn’t need too much more, but another couple of pages to tie things up would have been nice.
All in all, this is one I’m sure most of you will like.
Hildy, the narrator, is a ball of fun. She is in complete denial about her alcoholism but her voice is so fresh and light that we kind of go into denial with her. That’s what makes her such an interesting character to read about. She is completely unreliable as a narrator, omitting what she wants, but the more we read, the better we like her. There are lots of characters, including the obsessive Rebecca who comes across as both creepy and pitiful, but Hildy is definitely the one you’ll love.
The writing is deceptively simple, but there is a good amount of careful planning on the author’s part. That’s why the story goes so smoothly. The one thing that disappointed me, as it seems to be the case in too many of the books I’ve recently read, was the rushed ending. We didn’t need too much more, but another couple of pages to tie things up would have been nice.
All in all, this is one I’m sure most of you will like.
January 24, 2013
I thought this was a pretty terrific book. It had quirky (but not annoying) characters, an engaging and intriguing plot, and great writing. Who could ask for more?
Hildy Good has lived her whole life in Wendover, Massachusetts, an historic town on Boston's North Shore. She's proud of the fact that one of her ancestors, Sarah Good, was one of the first women hanged for witchcraft during the Salem trials, and many women in her family have claimed to have some type of psychic gift. Some people say Hildy can read minds, which isn't true—she's just really good at reading people and predicting behavior.
Except her own. This successful real estate broker has a bit of a drinking problem. Well, maybe more than a bit, as a year ago, her two daughters staged an intervention and sent her to rehab. Since then, she's always felt a little awkward at parties where everyone drinks—more because she feels people are staring at her than she's actually fighting the desire to drink. But there's nothing wrong with an occasional glass of wine at night when she's by herself, right? Right?
The problem about living in a small town is that you know everyone and everyone knows you. So when Hildy strikes up a friendship with Rebecca McCallister, a wealthy but lonely wife and mother, she sees this as a wonderful complement to her life. Until she realizes Rebecca's life is a little more complex than Hildy is interested in knowing. Meanwhile, Hildy is vacillating about her attraction to the least likely of men in town, and doesn't know what to do about that.
This book really has a little of everything. There's intrigue, illicit love, emotional discovery, missing children, and some great plot twists. More than a few times I wondered where Ann Leary was going to take her story and I enjoyed how it flowed. But more than that, I really loved Hildy's character. She's not always easy to love, although you understand more and more just why that is, but she's tremendously memorable, and I found myself completely engaged in her story.
This is a really well-written book that is sometimes moving, sometimes funny, and completely worth reading.
Hildy Good has lived her whole life in Wendover, Massachusetts, an historic town on Boston's North Shore. She's proud of the fact that one of her ancestors, Sarah Good, was one of the first women hanged for witchcraft during the Salem trials, and many women in her family have claimed to have some type of psychic gift. Some people say Hildy can read minds, which isn't true—she's just really good at reading people and predicting behavior.
Except her own. This successful real estate broker has a bit of a drinking problem. Well, maybe more than a bit, as a year ago, her two daughters staged an intervention and sent her to rehab. Since then, she's always felt a little awkward at parties where everyone drinks—more because she feels people are staring at her than she's actually fighting the desire to drink. But there's nothing wrong with an occasional glass of wine at night when she's by herself, right? Right?
The problem about living in a small town is that you know everyone and everyone knows you. So when Hildy strikes up a friendship with Rebecca McCallister, a wealthy but lonely wife and mother, she sees this as a wonderful complement to her life. Until she realizes Rebecca's life is a little more complex than Hildy is interested in knowing. Meanwhile, Hildy is vacillating about her attraction to the least likely of men in town, and doesn't know what to do about that.
This book really has a little of everything. There's intrigue, illicit love, emotional discovery, missing children, and some great plot twists. More than a few times I wondered where Ann Leary was going to take her story and I enjoyed how it flowed. But more than that, I really loved Hildy's character. She's not always easy to love, although you understand more and more just why that is, but she's tremendously memorable, and I found myself completely engaged in her story.
This is a really well-written book that is sometimes moving, sometimes funny, and completely worth reading.
February 18, 2013
4.5+ stars. Loved this book. Loved it. I picked it up on good reviews and am glad I only later found out (or else forgot) the author is Denis Leary’s wife because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have touched it. Hildy Good is our sixty-something realtor protagonist and one of the best female characters I’ve read in a long, long time. She is funny and complex and flawed and unreliable. Truly fantastic. I also loved the Salem witch/pseudo-telepathic aspect to her and her occupation is almost a character in itself.
I loved the privileged and sad Rebecca McAllister, she felt so real to me it was as though I could reach out and hug her. And believe me, I wanted to, when I didn’t want to throttle her. The other townsfolk are funny and quirky and real. There is no grand sweeping narrative but the simplicity and bluntness with which Hildy speaks is absolute perfection for this book. For me the only negative was it got too horsey at times. I was not surprised to read the author is an accomplished equestrian.
If you’re into highly literary fiction with a lot of pontification this is not the book for you. Sometimes it does veer quite a bit into the “telling instead of showing” category yet somehow this completely works when coming from Hildy Good. Overall I really loved this read and will definitely pick up Ann Leary’s other books. Also, after reading this, I looked up some interviews with the author and she’s hilarious. I think we should be friends.
I loved the privileged and sad Rebecca McAllister, she felt so real to me it was as though I could reach out and hug her. And believe me, I wanted to, when I didn’t want to throttle her. The other townsfolk are funny and quirky and real. There is no grand sweeping narrative but the simplicity and bluntness with which Hildy speaks is absolute perfection for this book. For me the only negative was it got too horsey at times. I was not surprised to read the author is an accomplished equestrian.
If you’re into highly literary fiction with a lot of pontification this is not the book for you. Sometimes it does veer quite a bit into the “telling instead of showing” category yet somehow this completely works when coming from Hildy Good. Overall I really loved this read and will definitely pick up Ann Leary’s other books. Also, after reading this, I looked up some interviews with the author and she’s hilarious. I think we should be friends.
January 7, 2015
Let me first say to all my fellow readers who recommended this....thank you. Second, let me say I loved Hildy Gold! (and I may have loved Frankie even more!) I could relate to her on many levels.....and not so much on others. But she was full of life, not a mamby-pamby by any means, witty...sometimes wicked and a true delight. Well, a truly delightful character with a drinking problem.
As we age and life changes on us, we adapt...sometimes we do it well and excel in some areas....but sometimes we have crutches that get us through. What is presented to the outside world is not always the real person. This is the crux of Hildy's problem.....everyone knows and loves her, but do they really know her? Does she really know herself or has she bought into the facade that she shows the world.
This book is full of quirky characters, a bit of magic and madness, some tragedy and should by all means be a very sad book...but it isn't. The reader see's these characters as flawed, but real.....filled with caring and love and humor....along with sadness and loneliness that is part of even the best lives. Very quietly, this author made me think....and continue thinking long after the book was closed. What do we have control over, what can we change....what is important.
One of the most pleasant surprises on my reading list this year.
As we age and life changes on us, we adapt...sometimes we do it well and excel in some areas....but sometimes we have crutches that get us through. What is presented to the outside world is not always the real person. This is the crux of Hildy's problem.....everyone knows and loves her, but do they really know her? Does she really know herself or has she bought into the facade that she shows the world.
This book is full of quirky characters, a bit of magic and madness, some tragedy and should by all means be a very sad book...but it isn't. The reader see's these characters as flawed, but real.....filled with caring and love and humor....along with sadness and loneliness that is part of even the best lives. Very quietly, this author made me think....and continue thinking long after the book was closed. What do we have control over, what can we change....what is important.
One of the most pleasant surprises on my reading list this year.
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