Book Summary and Reviews of Goodbye Earl by Leesa Cross-Smith

Book Summary

Four women take fate into their own hands in this big-hearted story of friendship, resilience, and revenge on monstrous men, from the award-winning author of Half-Blown Rose.

Taking inspiration from the infamous, empowering song, Goodbye Earl follows four best friends through two unforgettable summers, fifteen years apart.

In 2004, Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey are in their final days of high school and on the precipice of all the things teenagers look forward to when anything in life seems possible ... from falling in love, to finding their dream jobs, to becoming who they were meant to be.

In 2019, Kasey has returned to her small Southern hometown of Goldie for the first time since high school—and she still hasn't told even her closest friends the truth of what really happened that summer after graduation, or what made her leave so abruptly without looking back. Now reunited with her friends in Goldie for a wedding, she's determined to focus on the simple joy of being together again. But when she notices troubling signs that one of them might be in danger, she is catapulted back to that fateful summer. This time, Kasey refuses to let the worst moments of her past define her; this time, she knows how to protect those she loves at all costs.

Uplifting, sharp-edged, and unapologetic, Goodbye Earl is a funeral for all the "Earls" out there—the abusive men who think they can get away with anything, but are wrong—and a celebration of enduring sisterhood.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. When Kasey returns to Goldie for the first time in fifteen years, she expresses many conflicting emotions. "How could the place she'd grown to hate so much look so pretty? How could even the rotten parts make her wistful?" How does this complex sense of home shape her character? Do you find Kasey's attitude toward her hometown relatable?
2. This story is told in parallel timelines and several different points of view, with the narrative jumping back and forth between 2004 and 2019 as well as between RACK's perspectives. What impact do these choices have on the book and how you experience it?
3. Rosemarie prides herself on being an open and honest person, but she keeps several weighty secrets over the course of the novel. ...