Reviews
Leary... gleefully peels back the pretensions that so often accompany portraits of ye olde Americana., "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." --Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened THE GOOD HOUSE and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed." --Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man , Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy ... a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism., Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing., Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community., In Leary's third book ... the perils of addiction come to life. Sure to please fans of women's fiction featuring women of a certain age such as the novels of Jeanne Ray and Elizabeth Berg., "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing."- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened THE GOOD HOUSE and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed."- Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man "Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy … a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism."- Kirkus , starred review "Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community."- Booklist, "Superstition, drama, and intrigue unspool at a perfect pace in Ann Leary's irresistible new novel, The Good House , a tale steeped in New England character and small-town social tumult." Redbook "One of the best works of Massachusetts fiction in recent memory." Boston Magazine "Fresh, sharp and masterfully told. Hildy's tale is as intoxicating as it is sobering."  People Ann Leary's THE GOOD HOUSE creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good, and gives us a raw, first-person glimpse into the mind of a middle-aged, outspoken wry New England realtor so real she might be someone you know...yet who also is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town, and herself. By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself." - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of House Rules and Sing You Home "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing."- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened THE GOOD HOUSE and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed."- Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man "Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy … a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism."- Kirkus , starred review "Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community."- Booklist "In Leary's third book ... the perils of addiction come to life. Sure to please fans of women's fiction featuring women of a certain age such as the novels of Jeanne Ray and Elizabeth Berg." -- Library Journal, "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." --Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened THE GOOD HOUSE and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed." -- Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man , I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed., "Leary writes with humor and insight, revealing both the pure pleasure of drinking and the lies and justifications of alcoholism, the warmth Hildy feels toward others when she drinks and the desperation that makes her put alcohol before the people she loves. The result is a layered and complex portrait of a woman struggling with addiction, in a town where no secret stays secret for long." J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Book Review "Superstition, drama, and intrigue unspool at a perfect pace in Ann Leary's irresistible new novel, The Good House , a tale steeped in New England character and small-town social tumult." -Redbook "One of the best works of Massachusetts fiction in recent memory." -Boston Magazine "Fresh, sharp and masterfully told. Hildy's tale is as intoxicating as it is sobering." -People Magazine (People Pick) "Leary... gleefully peels back the pretensions that so often accompany portraits of ye olde Americana." -USA Today "A sophisticated turn on guilty-pleasure reading that is so well-written it won't make you feel guilty after all, except maybe about reaching for that third glass of pinot noir." -The Huffington Post "Ann Leary's The Good House creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good, and gives us a raw, first-person glimpse into the mind of a middle-aged, outspoken wry New England realtor so real she might be someone you know...yet who also is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town, and herself. By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself." - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of House Rules and Sing You Home "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." - Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed." - Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man "Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy … a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism." - Kirkus, starred review "Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community." -Booklist "In Leary's third book ... the perils of addiction come to life. Sure to please fans of women's fiction featuring women of a certain age such as the novels of Jeanne Ray and Elizabeth Berg." -Library Journal, "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." -Caroline Leavitt "I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic." -Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man , Leary writes with humor and insight, revealing both the pure pleasure of drinking and the lies and justifications of alcoholism, the warmth Hildy feels toward others when she drinks and the desperation that makes her put alcohol before the people she loves. The result is a layered and complex portrait of a woman struggling with addiction, in a town where no secret stays secret for long., Ann Leary's THE GOOD HOUSE creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good, and gives us a raw, first-person glimpse into the mind of a middle-aged, outspoken wry New England realtor so real she might be someone you know...yet who also is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town, and herself. By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself." - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of House Rules and Sing You Home "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing."- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened THE GOOD HOUSE and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed."- Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man "Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy … a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism."- Kirkus , starred review "Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community."- Booklist, "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." -Caroline Leavitt "I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic." -Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man , A sophisticated turn on guilty-pleasure reading that is so well-written it won't make you feel guilty after all, except maybe about reaching for that third glass of pinot noir., Superstition, drama, and intrigue unspool at a perfect pace in Ann Leary's irresistible new novel, The Good House , a tale steeped in New England character and small-town social tumult., "Leary writes with humor and insight, revealing both the pure pleasure of drinking and the lies and justifications of alcoholism, the warmth Hildy feels toward others when she drinks and the desperation that makes her put alcohol before the people she loves. The result is a layered and complex portrait of a woman struggling with addiction, in a town where no secret stays secret for long." -- J. Courtney Sullivan, New York Times Book Review "Superstition, drama, and intrigue unspool at a perfect pace in Ann Leary's irresistible new novel, The Good House , a tale steeped in New England character and small-town social tumult." -- Redbook "One of the best works of Massachusetts fiction in recent memory." -- Boston Magazine "Fresh, sharp and masterfully told. Hildy's tale is as intoxicating as it is sobering." -- People Magazine (People Pick) "Leary... gleefully peels back the pretensions that so often accompany portraits of ye olde Americana." -- USA Today "A sophisticated turn on guilty-pleasure reading that is so well-written it won't make you feel guilty after all, except maybe about reaching for that third glass of pinot noir." -- The Huffington Post "Ann Leary's The Good House creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good, and gives us a raw, first-person glimpse into the mind of a middle-aged, outspoken wry New England realtor so real she might be someone you know...yet who also is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town, and herself. By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself." -- Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of House Rules and Sing You Home "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." -- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed." -- Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man "Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy ... a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism." -- Kirkus, starred review "Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community." -- Booklist "In Leary's third book ... the perils of addiction come to life. Sure to please fans of women's fiction featuring women of a certain age such as the novels of Jeanne Ray and Elizabeth Berg." -- Library Journal, "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." -Caroline Leavitt "I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic." -Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man , "Superstition, drama, and intrigue unspool at a perfect pace in Ann Leary's irresistible new novel, The Good House , a tale steeped in New England character and small-town social tumult." -Redbook "One of the best works of Massachusetts fiction in recent memory." -Boston Magazine "Fresh, sharp and masterfully told. Hildy's tale is as intoxicating as it is sobering." -People Magazine (People Pick) "Leary... gleefully peels back the pretensions that so often accompany portraits of ye olde Americana." -USA Today "A sophisticated turn on guilty-pleasure reading that is so well-written it won't make you feel guilty after all, except maybe about reaching for that third glass of pinot noir." -The Huffington Post Ann Leary's The Good House creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good, and gives us a raw, first-person glimpse into the mind of a middle-aged, outspoken wry New England realtor so real she might be someone you know...yet who also is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town, and herself. By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself." - Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of House Rules and Sing You Home "Leary's genius is to give us a true original: Hildy, a not-so-recovering alcoholic/realtor who crashlands among a colorful cast of New England neighbors, but Leary also says a great deal about the houses we choose to live, the people we're compelled to love, and the addictions we don't want to give up. So alive, I swear the pages of this wickedly funny and moving novel are breathing." - Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You "I opened The Good House and was instantly sucked in; I read the whole thing in one sitting and was sorry when it ended. The story is atmospheric, funny, poignant, gritty, and romantic, and Hildy Good is refreshingly candid and lovably flawed." - Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man "Hildy is an original, irresistibly likable and thoroughly untrustworthy … a genuinely funny novel about alcoholism." - Kirkus, starred review "Leary's powerfully perceptive and smartly nuanced portrait of the perils of alcoholism is enhanced by her spot-on depiction of staid New England village life and the redemption to be found in traditions and community." -Booklist "In Leary's third book ... the perils of addiction come to life. Sure to please fans of women's fiction featuring women of a certain age such as the novels of Jeanne Ray and Elizabeth Berg." -Library Journal, Ann Leary's The Good House creates a one-of-a-kind character in Hildy Good, and gives us a raw, first-person glimpse into the mind of a middle-aged, outspoken wry New England realtor so real she might be someone you know...yet who also is hiding her alcoholism from her family, her town, and herself. By the end you'll be flipping pages, trying desperately to piece together what happened as much as the narrator is doing herself.
