“A Good Neigborhood” by Therese Anne Fowler

Rating:

Hello Everyone,

I just finished reading A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. The genre for this novel is Adult Contemporary Fiction, meaning it is a made up story that takes place in today’s day and age with adult themes.

Let’s sum up the story: Valerie Alston-Holt, an African American woman, and her bi-racial son Xavier live in a small southern community called Oak Knoll. They have a big oak tree in their backyard that symbolizes so much to Valerie, a forestry and ecology professor. New neighbors by the family name of Whitman move onto the plot behind her house and they find themselves at odds after a couple of days of neighborly introductions. Their disagreements get worse when Xavier and the teenage daughter of Julia Whitman find themselves in a “real life” Romeo and Juliet situation. What will happen to the families? What will happen to them and their relationship?

First let me say that one of my wonderful neighbors from my old town went to the library and picked this up for me. We both attend the Book Club at our local Barnes and Noble and she had remembered me saying that sometimes I skip the meetings because I can’t find a copy at the library and I do not have the money to buy all the books, especially if I am not sure I am going to like them. She wanted me to continue to participate so she took out the book and gave it to me saying “Don’t screw me over.” It’s true, I always return books late and since it was under her name I promised I would not (even though I was planning to pay the late fees if I did). I acknowledge that I am one of the most opinionated women at the Book Club meetings and many people remark “I would have loved to hear you opinion on (enter book name)” when I skip a month and then show up again. So good neighbor, if you ever read this blog, thank you for thinking of me.

I started this book in the beginning of March and barely got through 52 pages. I put it down after some time and did not pick it up again until April 6th (I’m tracking my reading now in a journal). In the first few pages the book mentions an “event” that happens. I just want to say that I am the most patient impatient person ever. I am internally impatient, but many people think because I don’t voice my impatience that I am very patient. This book is lucky because it is not until roughly 200 pages in (give or take) that this event takes place. The BIG EVENT doesn’t even happen until about 2/3 of the way through the book! COME ON. I was so sick of hearing about “the event” that by the time the event happened I was like “Oh. This is it? Okay.” Because so much happens before that specific event that it pretty much doesn’t phase you. At least, it didn’t phase me.

Since there are many events that happen throughout the book, I will say that the pace is well done. Everything doesn’t happen all at once and there’s some time between things that make the book feel very normal. It is contemporary, so normal is good.

Once I did start getting into this book, I read it pretty quickly. It was simple with some fancy language thrown in when appropriate like when Valerie talks about ecology and forestry things, which isn’t too often, but often enough to make you think this character is very knowledgeable and affectionate of those subjects.

The point of view was interesting. During parts of the book and chapters it is written from the neighborhood aspect. For example: “…we wondered how they treated one another when no one was watching. We were curious to know whether their family life was as enviable as their home” (pg 89). So you got to see the thoughts of the neighborhood as a whole. It was as if all the neighbors were narrating and moving the plot along, explaining to the reader what happened in their development as it happened. I thought that was very interesting and different. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first, but sleeping on it, I definitely liked it. Gave the book more of a community feel, if that makes sense.

There are some issues with the messages of the book that I had, but I really can’t get into it without spoiling the big event and ending.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, but it wan’t something I would have picked up on my own. I felt the authors opinions at times were too strong and pushed upon the reader, although I think at least one message she tried to convey is one that everyone needs to hear. There’s another message that I read into and I don’t think that was her intention, but it left a bad taste in my mouth. It makes me a little angry when I think about it, but I’m sure I misunderstood or it’s something I projected onto the writing myself. Again, I can’t go into detail without giving away major events of the book, and they try to conceal those events from the beginning of the book.

I’m not sure if I would recommend this book to read, but I do encourage you to pick it up if you have time for a quick, contemporary read.

-K.