What do readers think of The Good House by Ann Leary? Write your own review.

A small New England Community. A local alcoholic realtor. This is an interesting combination for the background of a book. Hildy Good is a quiet, nosy neighbor in this small community, who keeps up with the goings on of the town and knows much of the underlying gossip. The book weaves in and out of the lives of the families who live there. You find intrigue, happiness, unhappiness, and and secrets. All of which makes the book a good read.

This book draws you into small town life and its people. The characters are well developed and make you want to meet them and live there. I loved the story and will suggest it to my friends. 5 star read that I couldn't put down!

This book did not hook me from the beginning. It wasn't clear what was plotline or just random details that really didn't matter. Hildy was a likable enough character but she never truly engaged me as a reader. She didn't make me care about her and I suppose that was because she seemingly didn't care about herself. There seemed to be too many social issues to deal with in one book.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the main character, Hildy, that kept me hooked. It wasn't an exciting book, and not a whole lot happened. I felt like I was just hanging out with Hildy for a little while during a critical point of her journey through life, and I loved it.

The characters were realistic, as was the dialogue, and if felt like being in the know in an actual small town.

What a good read! I found it hard to put down and read it in two afternoons!! It is funny, but also explores the secrets that people harbor - so there is some sadness in the story. We all know people like this - such an accurate portrayal of small town life. I think it would be a good book for discussion as book clubs.

I became delighted with this book about 20 pages in when I realized that Hildy Good, the main character, is a classic unreliable narrator. She seems to have a pretty accurate take on those around her, but is utterly deluded about herself. The story is witty, insightful, and surprisingly complex, with a mix of great characters and several different but overlapping story arcs that tie together by the end, touching on real estate, New England small towns, infidelity, psychiatry, autism, late-in-life romance, and alcoholism.

I grew up in that area of New England and enjoyed those descriptions. I found this to be more of a 'beach' book....a quick read that was enjoyable with a protagonist - Hildy- who had a quick wit. Overall okay. Too many books- too little time!

The Good House is both enjoyable and well-written. It is the story of Hildy Good, the 7th generation descendant of Sarah Good, who was persecuted as a witch during the infamous Salem witch hunt. Hildy is the narrator of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed her insights and opinions about the people and events of her life. She refuses to admit, however, that she is an alcoholic in need of help. Despite this problem, she is a successful real estate broker, partly because of her ability to "read" people which she considers a party trick rather than a gift. Hildy is a complex character, whom I greatly enjoyed meeting. The plot feels contrived at times, but the book is well worth reading.