I noticed that this was a popular book last summer and many readers’ favorite of the year, so I had to check it out. The Goodmans is a multi-layered story focused on family relations, love (new and old), and politics, with a tone that resembles Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway – that’s high praise coming from me.
Here’s the premise-
The three main characters are Abby Hart, Jude Goodman, and Maggie Goodman, though the narrative only lends its view to Abby in the beginning, she is a driving force behind everything going on. Jude and Abby have been best friends since college and Abby has since integrated into her life so tightly she’s considered family. There are quite a few storylines occurring simultaneously which adds depth to the book overall. One line is Abby’s romantic feelings towards Jude (despite Jude being straight), which is not the only romance that occurs between characters. I don’t want to give too much away in terms of spoilers, but there are plenty of contrasts, including an ongoing divorce in the background of a few blossoming romances, which gave the book an interesting perspective, especially paired with Maggie’s reflection on life and time changing. In the background of this love is the town housing problem, feuding neighbors, a church being sold off and political tension that isn’t aimed at overwhelming the reader, but instead provides examples of possible solutions and compromises.
All of the characters felt unique and rounded, like I mentioned above, pretty much everyone has their own separate store line occurring behind the main picture, varying in terms of detail, but all satisfying. Maggie Goodman is probably the strongest character, as the matriarch of her household and a popular figure in town, we learn about her most and through her eyes, learn about Jude (and her brother). Maggie is definitely fearless, bold, and is nursing past wounds that bust open when an old lover enters back into her life. I felt myself rooting for Maggie most of the book and I enjoyed watching her progress. I understood why there was tension between her in Jude in relation to Maggie’s views on Abby’s lifestyle, but I didn’t fully understand why the mother/daughter relationship hit turbulence before that. Jude seemed pretty level headed and calculated in her emotions, and though I didn’t doubt her reasoning for the tension, I didn’t fully understand it. Jude is more reserved, life her father, and proper-seeming (though I didn’t see her that way after a night with Abby) which is a contrast to Maggie. Abby is her own island, constantly setting up dock to help everyone around her. All of the main personalities were different, but equally charming in their own way.
If you enjoy your books layered with plot and hosting a compelling narrative- then you might enjoy The Goodmans
https://www.amazon.com/Goodmans
Follow Clare Ashton on twitter: @Rclareashton