The Good Neighbor : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: A crumbling marriage set against a historical backdrop
Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, the author effectively uses a historical backstory to add interest and to enhance the plot, but on the other, the present-day characters are unlikeable and their stories unlikely. Francie and Colt Hart have been married for 7 years, but their bickering has become commonplace. On a rare weekend drive from their home in NYC to the "country"--aka rural Pennsylvannia--they spy an old house with which they both fall in love: Francie, because it appeals to the poet within, and Colt, because it is a status symbol. They purchase the house and prepare to move in, but they soon find themselves in trouble with Francie's brother, a new neighbor, and a long-lost relative of Colt's as well.

Francie, Colt, and Francie's brother Michael are all irritating characters; it is difficult to root for any one of them in this story. Each experiences a transformation that is not quite believable given the circumstnaces. This is even more true for their neighbor, Randy, who acts in a manner which is completely out of character--although this is acknowledged within the book, it still seems unreasonable. More interesting and engaging are the house's original occupants, the Musgroves, who built Adencourt one hundred and fifty years before. The author weaves the tale of the Musgroves into that of the Harts through occasional "historical digressions" as well as hints sprinkled throughout the house. This aspect makes the novel readable, making the book worthwhile for the patient and tolerable bibliophile.