The book:
Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
Hardcover, 290 pages
Published February 5th 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The blurb:
Daphne Maritch doesn’t quite know what to make of the heavily annotated high school yearbook she inherits from her mother, who held this relic dear. Too dear. The late June Winter Maritch was the teacher to whom the class of ’68 had dedicated its yearbook, and in turn she went on to attend every reunion, scribbling notes and observations after each one—not always charitably—and noting who overstepped boundaries of many kinds.
In a fit of decluttering (the yearbook did not, Daphne concluded, “spark joy”), she discards it when she moves to a small New York City apartment. But when it’s found in the recycling bin by a busybody neighbor/documentary filmmaker, the yearbook’s mysteries—not to mention her own family’s—take on a whole new urgency, and Daphne finds herself entangled in a series of events both poignant and absurd.
My thoughts…
I found this a fun read, even though the plot was pretty implausible! The characters are quirky and funny, and there is witty dialogue throughout – although the plot doesn’t always hit the mark!
I also liked the sweet and blossoming romance between our protagonist, Daphne, and the cute actor across the hall.
This won’t win any prizes for great literature, and it should definitely have benefitted from a much stronger storyline, but it was a light and easy read and A very light and easy read which felt just right for these crazy times.
My rating: 6 out of 10
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