by Ann Leary
First published 2015
Hildy Good considers herself the top real estate agent in her affluent New England town. She also considers her drinking perfectly reasonable, even as the wine flows more freely each day. Hildy knows everyone's business in town and isn't shy about sharing gossip. Her ex-husband came out as gay, but they remain friends despite her complicated relationship with their daughters. When desire strikes, Hildy begins an affair with Frank, the local junk collector. Her alcohol consumption grows harder to hide as memory gaps multiply and her carefully maintained facade starts cracking. Hildy must confront the gap between how she sees herself and reality as her drinking threatens everything she values. This tragicomic story follows one woman's struggle with addiction while maintaining appearances in a community where image matters.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: New England
Period: 21st-century
318 pages · Hardcover · Massolit Förlag
Content warnings: addiction, alcohol-abuse