THE BEST KIND OF PEOPLE

by Zoe Whittall
 
If you are looking for an absorbing read about lives falling apart, look no further.  Set in a small town in Connecticut, the book begins with a beloved teacher and town hero being accused of sexual misconduct by several of his teenage students.  He is arrested and held without bail until his trial.
 
But unlike many books of this genre, the focus is neither the crimes nor the accused.  The story splits perspective between his daughter, his wife and his son.  We see how they deal with their change of status in the town and the devastation and uncertainty of having a parent or partner in prison.
 
Sometimes I find it incredibly cathartic to read a book where people make one bad decision after another, and yet still remain human, still have people who love them and care what happens to them.  Whittall draws her characters with deft ease and follows their insanely twisting paths to the (slightly disappointing) end.
 
Fun Fact: Although set in Connecticut, Whittall is a Canadian author and was a finalist for the Giller Prize, Canada’s highest literary honor, for this book. Americans may spot a few moments where her Canadian vocabulary sneaks in! (Lily)