The Good House

A Novel

By: Ann Leary

Narrated by: Mary Beth Hurt

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The Good House, by Ann Leary, is funny, poignant, and terrifying. A classic New England tale that lays bare the secrets of one little town, this spirited novel will stay with you long after the story has ended.

Now a major motion picture starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline!

Hildy Good is a townie. A lifelong resident of a small community on the rocky coast of Boston's North Shore, she knows pretty much everything about everyone. And she's good at lots of things, too. A successful real-estate broker, mother, and grandmother, her days are full. But her nights have become lonely ever since her daughters, convinced their mother was drinking too much, sent her off to rehab. Now she's in recovery—more or less.

Alone and feeling unjustly persecuted, Hildy finds a friend in Rebecca McAllister, one of the town's wealthy newcomers. Rebecca is grateful for the friendship and Hildy feels like a person of the world again, as she and Rebecca escape their worries with some harmless gossip and a bottle of wine by the fire—just one of their secrets.

But Rebecca is herself the subject of town gossip. When Frank Getchell, an old friend who shares a complicated history with Hildy, tries to warn her away from Rebecca, Hildy attempts to protect her friend from a potential scandal. Soon, however, Hildy is busy trying to protect her own reputation. When a cluster of secrets becomes dangerously entwined, the reckless behavior of one person threatens to expose the other, and this darkly comic novel takes a chilling turn.

©2012 Ann Leary (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Both Hildy's denial and her vulnerability are dramatized extremely well by narrator Mary Beth Hurt. Hurt deftly portrays Hildy's tendency to hide her alcoholism under a veneer of polished perfection; she's a woman who can deal with anyone's problems but her own. As the novel continues, the listener feels the pain of Hildy's breakdown and relapse in Hurt's Delivery, so well does she depict Leary's beautifully plotted story.” —AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner

“The Good House is told in first person, which makes it an ideal audiobook – especially in the hands of reader Mary Beth Hurt, who simultaneously portrays Hildy as smart, funny, prickly, sympathetic and – well, pathetic.” —The Star-Ledger

“Mary Beth Hurt does a fantastic job bringing Hildy to life vocally in all her facets…The author is talented and the reader adept; they have created a comprehensively compelling audio experience.” —New World Review

Refreshing and Different

Reader was terrific.
A difficult theme but handled very well -
A good insight into Denial and all the issues that it brings up!

New England towns people, a bit of adultery, real estate, psychology and class, and just a little glass of wine

The character development was superb, narration outstanding and I must say I learned a lot about myself listening to this book.

A great read!

I wasn't sure about this book - I guess I was expecting something cheesy. Surprise, surprise - brilliantly written, witty and well-read! I definitely recommend it :-)

Narrator Enhances Story

I think this is a book that is significantly enhanced by Mary Beth’s narration. It’s an interesting story and has interesting characters but she really draws you in to Hilly’s world.

Loved the story and the narrator.

One of my favorite audible books ever! Mary Beth Hurt was Hildy, I was captivated and felt like I was there. What a keen insight into alcoholism, relationships, and family.

Really Good!

Such an incredible story of a woman in denial! Perhaps it can help those of us who may know someone struggling in this way. Very moving story!

Pure Pleasure

I'm kind of on an audible review rampage right now--going back into my library pulling out my recent favorites, and this is definitely one of them.
Not sure which is more brilliant--Ann Leary's writing or Mary Beth Hurt's narration, but I'm pretty sure it's a magical combination of both...

Another marathon Listen!

I loved this story and was hooked from the start. I wish I had slowed down and savored it because it was over way too fast.

The narrator made this one for me

Any additional comments?

This book was surprisingly funny to me at times. (In a slightly offbeat way.) I have to give it up to the narrator for that. She is very wry and her performance is the thing that made Hildy Goode come to life. I could even see parts of myself in her. Not necessarily a good thing, but entertaining nonetheless. Hildy's ability to completely deny any participation in her downward spiral - or even that she is spiraling at all - is so typical of most of us but the way the author brings that to light in Hildy's thoughts is what really kept me hooked.

Excellent

As much as the story I enjoyed the narration. She was brilliant and really brought this beautiful story to life.