Book Review

We Are All Good People Here (Publication Date: August 6th, 2019)

From the author of A Place at the Table and A Soft Place to Land, an “intense, complex, and wholly immersive” (Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author) multigenerational novel that explores the complex relationship between two very different women and the secrets they bequeath to their daughters.

Eve Whalen, privileged child of an old-money Atlanta family, meets Daniella Gold in the fall of 1962, on their first day at Belmont College. Paired as roommates, the two become fast friends. Daniella, raised in Georgetown by a Jewish father and a Methodist mother, has always felt caught between two worlds. But at Belmont, her bond with Eve allows her to finally experience a sense of belonging. That is, until the girls’ expanding awareness of the South’s systematic injustice forces them to question everything they thought they knew about the world and their places in it.

Eve veers toward radicalism—a choice pragmatic Daniella cannot fathom. After a tragedy, Eve returns to Daniella for help in beginning anew, hoping to shed her past. But the past isn’t so easily buried, as Daniella and Eve discover when their daughters are endangered by secrets meant to stay hidden.

Spanning more than thirty years of American history, from the twilight of Kennedy’s Camelot to the beginning of Bill Clinton’s presidency, We Are All Good People Here is “a captivating…meaningful, resonant story” (Emily Giffin, author of All We Ever Wanted) about two flawed but well-meaning women clinging to a lifelong friendship that is tested by the rushing waters of history and their own good intentions.

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My Thoughts…

An extraordinary book that spans generations, explores momentous times in American history, and gives readers a in-depth look into complex family relationships.

I had a hard time getting into this book despite its alluring cover and fascinating synopsis. I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to really appreciate how poignant this story really was. Once I got my head around it and cleared my docket, I was able to give it my undivided attention, which it truly deserves.

Starting in the 1960’s, this book takes the reader on a journey through some of the most life-changing moments in American history. Vietnam, Martin Luther King, JFK, and the pervasive racism and sexism experienced during that time. These moments act as the backdrop to the drama and personal relationships that develop over the next thirty years.

We Are All Good People Here is superbly written, with rich and fully developed characters. It’s clearly evident that the author spent an enormous amount of time on research, making sure that her book was historically accurate. By no means, is this an easy read, but it is as enthralling as it is informative, and the characters provide a dramatic and entertaining story.

This was an easy 5 stars for me, and I highly recommend it!

Rating… A+

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Susan Rebecca White

*A big thanks to both the author, Susan Rebecca White and Simon Schuster Canada for providing me with this beautiful ARC in exchange for my honest review.