Good to a Fault

No good turn goes unpunished, people don't change and will continue to take advantage of the kindness of others as much as they can.

I found this book surprisingly easy to read. The story drew me in from the start. I found that I wanted to know what happened to everyone - almost to the point of jumping ahead. She drew out the wondering in me as to why we do the good things we do. Unlike other reviewers, I found that what I thought would happen wasn't actually what happened.

This is my first read of Endicott's writings but I'll be looking for more. A great debut and a compelling story in the style of Christopher Bohjalian and Joseph Monninger. Another moving novel exploring male / female relationships, the dysfunctional family and even social justice. The story keeps you turning the page for a touching finale.

This is a book about a plain vanilla woman who crashes into a carload of color. Her life becomes filled with pain, mystery, love, and light. This book asks a lot of questions about ethics and goodness, whether any righteous acts are done from mixed or selfish motives, whether it matters. Do our characters shape our actions or is it the other way around? I'd love to talk with you about this book. I think you will like this if you like Amy Tan, Anne Tyler, Precious Ramotswe. I'm not recommending it to my husband who mostly reads science fiction, or my children because of some adult content.

So what would you do if you were the cause of damaging someone's life? Just how far would you go to assist strangers? Just how good should a minister be, how much of an example? These and many more are some of the extraordinary questions the characters face is this wonderfully well written novel. What appears to be a story of every day lives, little seemingly inconsequential things all adding up to lives well - or not well - lived unfolds beautifully for us. This author writes in such a way that the story was not so much exciting but intoxicating. At first I could not believe the main character, Clara, would or could possibly sacrifice herself to strangers. But she did, and it came to be believable - so much so that later in the story when she felt physical hurt from the loss of children, I actually felt that pain. Amazing! I understood how she could lose herself in the situation. Each day we have millions of moments and decisions, and how many are life altering for us or others? These characters are each so well written from a grumpy, thieving old woman to an intuitive eight-year old girl, and more....each so real and well developed that you feel like you are with them. I urge you to read Marina Endicott's work if you have not yet. This was an award winning book and well deserved.

What I'm most interested in as a reader are two simple things. 1) A story that engages, captivates. 2) A writer with not only 'style', but a distinct voice. This novel has both. (Although, to be honest, 'Good to a Fault' is less a 'story', than a 'situation'.) The premise is compelling. The characters are all so nicely drawn. (I HATED Clayton.) The pacing is measured, but not unduly so, with some absolutely memorable moments. And Ms. Endicott has a way with language that put a smile on this writer's face. Having just read an absolute piece of dreck ('The Memory Keeper's Daughter'), I was relieved to have my faith in the possibilities of good writing restored. Highly recommended.