Ann Leary's latest novel The Good House offers a glimpse of life in a small town New England community, located north of Boston, where everyone not only knows each other's names but is also up on all of the latest gossip about them, too. And, Hildy Good, a successful real estate business woman and somewhat functioning alcoholic, gives them much to talk about. Of course no one confronts her directly about her alcoholism except for her two grown daughters during a formal intervention a few years before the book begins. Hildy dutifully checks into Hazelton, a well-known rehab, and she even stays sober for a period of time. However, she pokes fun at one of the fellow sober locals she meets in the 12-Step recovery rooms because he spends his days at an over-priced coffee shop in town.
Leary creates an authentic person in Hildy. Ironically, the character herself spends much of the novel hiding her truths from others and, most importantly, herself. This provides comic moments in the story, however, because we are able to see what she cannot. Perhaps this is why I liked The Good House and rooted for the oft arrogant, outspoken, condescending Hildy. I identified with her struggles, even if mine weren't exactly the same as hers. The ancillary characters--Hildy's ex-husband who realizes he is gay well into the marriage; a beautiful but lonely young mother she sells a house and befriends, and some of the town folks, especially a former lover, feel like people we might see on the street in this town on the water.
At the end of the book, I felt sad to leave Hildy, a character I had come to respect and care about. However, the final scene is subtle and sweet and I closed the book feeling optimistic about Hildy's future.


Karen Kovacs Dydzuhn