INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A provocative, absorbing read.” — People “A feast of a read… I finished A Good Neighborhood in a single sitting. Yes, it’s that good.” –Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is … Light
In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son, Xavier, who’s headed to college in the fall. All is well until the Whitmans–a family with new money and a secretly troubled teenage daughter–raze the house and trees next door to build themselves a showplace.
With little in common except a property line, these two families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie’s yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers.
A Good Neighborhood asks big questions about life in America today–what does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don’t see eye to eye?–as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.
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This is a book that really made me stop and think. It’s a story that I wish everyone would read and see it like it’s meant to be seen. It’s about a boy and about a girl. It’s about prejudice. It’s about someone not liking the word no or not getting what he wants. It’s about a man who thinks thoughts that no man should be thinking. It’s about a woman who loves her child, both mothers. It’s about a tree. It’s about the law, unjust in many ways. In terrible ways. It’s about hate and love. Life and death. Love and loss. It is one that will make you cry such hard tears. If you have a heart you will weep in a certain part of this story. Many parts for sure but one part in particular.
This book is written in such a way that you won’t want to stop reading for any reason. You will want to find out what is going to happen next. You will also wonder how some things are not seen. It’s about one mother who only wanted her daughter and herself to have a better life. It’s about a mother who has a son who happens to be biracial and will do anything for him. His dad died when he was just a toddler so his mother, who is black, raised him on her own. She sacrificed so much for him. It’s about neighbors. One family rich and one maybe middle class. It’s a story that brings so much. Like why is a biracial child consider black? Why not white? Or as should be both. Or just a child. Just a young man. Just a human being. It’s just not that way. Especially here in the south. There is way to much hatred in the south for a person who is not white. It’s quite sad and sickening too.
I had no idea exactly what this story was going to entail. I thought it was going to be about prejudice. But it’s much much more. The part about a tree is important. It’s like a focal point in this story for the events that will take place. It’s an old Oak tree that has been around many many years.
Quotes from this story: “It’s trite to say appearances can be deceiving, so we won’t say that. We’ll say no one can be known by only what’s visible. We’ll say, most of us hide what troubles and confuses us, displaying instead of the facets we hope others will approve of, the parts we hope others will like.”
“Why couldn’t we see one another as simply human and pull together, for goodness’ sake. The planet was dying while people fought over things like who was most American-or who was American at all.”
“This story isn’t a police procedural. It’s not a legal thriller. Is it a cautionary tale? We think it is-but we wish it weren’t.”
“Start here, please, in communion with one another despite our differences, recognizing that without start there is no end.”(this last one is my favorite)
This is a much needed to be read story.
Thank you #NetGalley #StMartin’sPress #TereseAnneFowler for the eARC of this book. This review comes straight from my heart.
A 5 star book and a very high recommendation.
What an amazing read!!! it is my first book by Therese Anne Fowler and I really enjoy her way of telling this great story, I’ve never read a book written this way and I really enjoy it, it made me feel like I was watching a movie where we get to see every character to evolve and make mistakes even before we knew what was going to happen.
I started reading this book completely blind, without any knowledge of what the story was about and I was so happy that I did it that way. not only I didn’t know what was going to happen or where the story was heading, every next page I was breathless and in shock how the things were turning out for Xavier, Juniper and The Whitman’s …
A Good Neighborhood it’s the story of the perfect American family trying to build their house and roots based on lies that people around them will never guess. They’re the perfect example to society with their fabulous life, the fabulous house, and cars but sooner or later things will begin to fall apart and the truth will show up making this family regret whatever their plans were.
It is a roller coaster of emotions, the things in the Whitman family were so calm and serene at least that’s what they wanted to pretend but Juniper was very aware of everything that was going on around her, she was smart and didn’t have a nice childhood, she still remember some of the things that happened to her and her mom but she won’t stop fighting to rebuild a new life far away from those memories, far away from those who hurt them the most, but not every member of her family has those pure intension and she will find that out the hard way.
A Good Neighborhood is a heartbreaking story, it will take you into an emotional ride with so many scenarios that you won’t see them coming, whatever you think is going to happen it won’t. the good ones will show their true colors and the “bad ones” will show how much light they had to give and spread to the world.
I have so much to say about this story, it really made me feel so broken at the end but at the same time, it made me think and want to change so many things. it is brutal, it is honest and it will confront you with so many things society has imposed in ourselves but it will leave you with a sense of wanting to do more and understand more.
Amazing book, Amazing characters, Definitely a great book to read.
I can’t wait to read another book by Therese Anne Fowler!!
This is a good book that takes a hard subject and makes it palatable for the reader. It is written with different perspectives from the characters and makes you see the different sides to the same conflicts. It deals with some tougher subjects in todays world with inter racial interactions and the differences we face in todays society. Was a harder book for me to read as not really my cup of tea but I found it was well written and made you think about how others might feel. Worth reading.
Wow, what a book! It is told from a 3rd party perspective which glides you along with hints of things to come. We have a modern day telling of what a Good Neighborhood is and how events change those things upon which we depend. Also there are hidden jealousies, prejudice not quite hidden and how politics and race converge in the South Fascinating read with not a dull moment – highly recommend!
A neighborhood, just like any neighborhood in the US. Different personalities, different races, age old problem. This book will make you think, look at things from a different perspective, and ultimately break your heart. The characters are likable, deplorable, opinionated, single minded, one sided, entitled.
The Whitman’s, Brad, a local minor celebrity and Julia, former single Mom and Brad’s former receptionist, along with Julia’s teenage daughter Juniper and their daughter, Lily, move into the coveted Oak Knoll neighborhood in North Carolina. Next door is widow and environmental activist, Valerie Alston-Holt who is raising her biracial son, Xavier. Brad builds a large home in the neighborhood. Valerie’s beautiful, old tree is starting to die. She is positive that Brad has used his money to cut thru red tape at nature’s expense. What starts as an environmental issue, escalates when the two teenagers are strongly attracted to each other.
This book starts going down one storyline, then subtly changes and turns. I loved Ms. Fowler’s writing, and especially enjoyed the narrative thrown in by ‘the neighborhood’. I highly recommend this book, chocked full of current hot topics. Would bring up lively discussions in a book club.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
A Good neighbor is not my usual genre of reading but I was happily surprised! I found it to be a very good book. Set in the South it is the story of two families. One family is wealthy and privileged while the other family is not. Race also plays a factor. A very thought provoking book that I highly recommend to everyone!
My feelings are all over the place on this one. I think it is extremely well written, the use of the third person omnipotent point of view is always an interesting view. I think it’s hard to use it successfully which this book did. The premise, though not a new one, is good and relatable. A story of a neighborhood where everyone knew each other, in an older suburb where the residents are now having to “make way” for the Brad Whitmans of the world.
Valerie Alston-Holt is a widowed African American woman raising a teenage son. She is a Forestry and Ecology professor and an advocate for keeping their neighborhood beautiful and ecologically sound. She almost grieves when the adjoining lot is cleared of large established, beautiful trees just for the purpose of clearing the land easily.
Their new neighbors, the Whitman’s, have done just that. Cleared the beautiful land and installed a modern mini mansion complete with swimming pool, fast cars and expensive private schools for their two daughters.
So on one side we have the new money Whitmans, he’s a hustler and got in early in the air conditioning/heating business and he has a lot of disposable income. Julie was raised in a trailer park and met Brad before he really became wealthy but she definitely loved her new wealth, enjoying the house, pool, etc.
When first these neighbors meet it almost seems as though there might be a chance for these two families to be able to exist side by side in spite of these differences. That was, however, before we started to understand the depths of Brad Whitman’s corruptions. He is manipulative, controlling and has been known to watch 15 year old Juniper more often than sounds “parental”.
It is also before we are reminded of young love and it’s incredible strong pull. Through these characters we are made to feel this age again and try to understand that it was never supposed to end this way.
The characters are a bit stereotypical, yes I know he is bi-racial, but that was my thought. That didn’t however take away from my enjoyment of the book.
This is a quick roller coaster of a ride that is so much more dangerous than it first appears. I don’t want to give away any more of this multi-layered “cautionary” tale, this descriptive word is at one time mentioned in the book and I thought that was a perfect single word description
This book flies along quickly and we are forced so many times to say “if even one of us had been privy to how Brad;s mind worked, we would have stepped in and at least given Julia a heads, we would have seen the situation so differently”.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
This book is set to publish February 14, 2020 by St. Martin’s Press.
Not sure how I feel about this book. Curious how things might have been different if people just talked to each other ….
I really liked the authors writing and this book makes you think … I’m still thinking. So many decisions we make can snowball; touching other lives and we can’t see it coming.
Will be releasing soon.It’s hard to say what I feel about this book. I received this book for free and I voluntarily chose to review it. I’ve given it a 5* with a handful of tissues. This had all kinds of feels in it, from caring for our earth to racism, with a lot in between. From young love between the black and white, to the destruction of trees for greed. It didn’t take long to get into this and I was surprised by the intensity toward the end. This was a very thought provoking story.