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

What's not to love?

This book had me hooked from the beginning. The story is excellent, but the performance takes it to another level. I laughed and cried and at the end I somehow felt changed. Hands down my new favorite novel.

So good - I couldn't stop listening!

The writing is so good and you get pulled in to the story from the very first paragraph. The narrator is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC. Probably the best performance of an audiobook I've heard. I loved this book and hope there's more out there by Ann Leary!

good story, interesting characters.

I thought this was a good story, well written with believable characters. I liked it and would recommend it.

Narration and story are excellent!

I loved all the demensions of Mrs Good and her self-analysis.. which was entertainingly flawed.

totally unexpected!

Fabulous book here! Very unique. I'm not sure what genre it fits into. I'd say part dark humor and drama, part character study, and part mystery. The narrator was fantastic. She was a perfect fit. I'm highly recommending this one. It's one of the few audio books I've listened to multiple times. 5 stars all around.

Wonderful!

Mary Beth Hurt qualifies as an actress, not just as a narrator. She seems to become Hildy, not just a reader about Hildy. She makes the tale come alive. I couldn't stop listening! Great job!

Enjoyable

Any additional comments?

I'm from New England and loved how this book brought me back to small town New England. The main character was likeable despite her flaws and the narration was excellent. It's not a riveting on-the-edge-of-your-seat book, but I found myself wanting to listen whenever I could. It was a good "story".

So good!

Where does The Good House rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I loved the story, and the narrator was perfect. At first I thought her voice was odd but after a bit, she really fit the character perfectly.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Good House?

The night of the big blackout and everything that transpired after that.

Which scene was your favorite?

Hard to choose...there were so many detailed scenes all interwoven together. The time she slept on the basement floor was hilarious!

Who was the most memorable character of The Good House and why?

Aside from Hildy, the main character, my favorite character was Frankie Getchell.

Any additional comments?

Loved this book!

Amazing narrator with great storytelling

I don’t usually write reviews on Audible, but I had to make some comments on the incredible narration of Mary Beth Hurt. She absolutely made the character of Hilly come alive.

The story was also excellent. The characters were well flushed out, they had they’re good parts and they’re bad parts just like the rest of us. There was a bit of romance but it didn’t drive the story.

There are two plots going on within the story. The primary one is of a townie in a Massachusetts town near Salem who has become the top realtor in her town as it becomes gentrified. Meaning rich people want to move there. She’s a delightful character with lots of imperfections who is in denial about A major character flaw. I won’t tell you what it is. There’s also a sub plot between a townie and a rich new resident. But I won’t give anything away. All I can say is get it and enjoy Mary Beth hurts narration with a great plot.

Hildy, the character I didn’t know I’d root for

Wonderful book - strong sense of place, great characters, satisfying ending. The audio definitely enhanced my reading experience.