What We Thought: The Good House by Ann Leary

“Rehab ruins your drinking forever, I swear. Even if you’re not an alcoholic, you’ll question your drinking habits for the rest of your life.” -- Hildy Good

The first comments about The Good House were that it was a quick read and an enjoyable story. Discussion focused on the main character Hildy Good’s denial of her alcoholism as the main theme. The interconnection of small town relationships in fictional North Shore town of Wendover, Massachusetts played a big part in the progression of the story as well. Gossip changed to high drama as townies’ secrets were exposed and scandal turned to tragedy.

Rebecca McAllister, a beautiful and wealthy newcomer, enters Hildy’s life as a drinking buddy and confidant. Rebecca is a change agent in the story. She begins an affair with psychiatrist Peter Newbold, whom Hildy has known since he was a child, which leads to disaster for him and relatively little consequence for her (Rebecca). Rebecca’s unstable moods were in contrast to Hildy’s drinking and both of their relationships with family, friends and standing in the community. Rebecca left Wendover, while Hildy remained and faced her demons head on. It was too late for Peter the psychiatrist who gave up. The group thought he had a chance to redeem himself despite his mistakes because he was a good person at heart.

Outtakes from a Marriage, another novel by Ann Leary, was recommended reading for the group.

Have you read The Good House? What did you think? Please chime in with your thoughts in the comments!

This Month's Selection: The Good House by Ann Leary

Afternoon Readers

Tuesday, April 14, 1 p.m.

The Good House

by Ann Leary

Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of a small community on the rocky coast of Boston's North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. And she's good at lots of things, too. 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, sent her off to rehab. Now she's in recovery--more or less.
Alone and feeling unjustly persecuted, Hildy finds a friend in Rebecca McAllister, one of the town's wealthy newcomers. Rebecca 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 Rebecca is herself the subject of town gossip. When Frank Getchell, an old friend 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 protect her own reputation. When a cluster of secrets becomes dangerously entwined, the reckless behavior of one person 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.-- from the publisher

Join us in person or online for a discussion of this New York Times bestseller by Ann Leary!