But what if these forks represent nothing? What if there are no patterns, except those we invent? What if we can reach through our own murky histories, and come out cleanly on the other side?
What if, like the Rat Pack of Maple Street, we can break the cycle?
I’ll close on this quotation from Grace Paley:
The kids! The kids! Though terrible troubles hang over them, such as the absolute end of the known world quickly by detonation or slowly through the easygoing destruction of natural resources, they are still, even now, optimistic, humorous, and brave. In fact, they intend enormous changes at the last minute.
Acknowledgments
It’s been a while, so I have a lot of people to thank. First to JT Petty, because nobody else would ever do. Thanks to my girls, Clem and Frances, for inspiring what I do. Thanks to all the people who took such good care of my girls over the years: Carole Langan, Susan Knisely, Kate Petty, the folks at Union Temple Preschool, The Co-op School, Wonderland Avenue Elementary, and of course, Marlene Winston.
Thanks to my dad, for holding down the fort, to my brother, Chris, for helping him, and to my uncle Michael, for keeping me in the loop. Thanks to my mom. I wish she was here.
Thanks to Stacia Decker, the smartest, steadiest hand I know. Thanks to Loan Le. I am so lucky. You know what I’m doing better than I know what I’m doing.
Thanks also to the team: Sarah Self （always）， Hilary Zaitz Michael, and Circle of Confusion. Antonio D’Intino, your enthusiasm is contagious, and you time it exactly when I need it. Lawrence Mattis, it’s warming to have the first person to visit after Clem was born also steer my career.
Thanks also to the Atria Team: Libby McGuire, Lindsay Sagnette, Suzanne Donahue, David Brown, Megan Rudloff, Maudee Genao, James Iacobelli, Min Choi, Paige Lytle, Jessie McNiel, Liz Byer, Joshua Cohen, and Erika Genova. Wow, are you great.
I’ve been fortunate to have great friends who are also great writers: the past, present, and future members of the writing group Who Wants Cake, which will forever claim a piece of my heart. Lunch club! Nicholas Kaufmann and David Wellington, for everything. My Los Angeles writing group （Meg Howrey, J. Ryan Stradal, Chris Terry, Sarah Tomlinson）， the Directors of the Shirley Jackson Awards （F. Brett Cox, JoAnn Cox, Jack Haringa, John Langan, and of course, Paul Tremblay）。 Jon Evans. Victor LaValle. Liz Hand. For help when I needed it, Kelly Link, Andrew Pyper, agent and mom extraordinaire Jennifer Carlson, and new LA friends, Kirsten Roeters and David Eilenberg.
Thanks finally to my hometown of Garden City, which hopefully has a good sense of humor.
Good Neighbors
Sarah Langan
This reading group guide for Good Neighbors includes an introduction, discussion questions, ideas for enhancing your book club, and a Q&A with author Sarah Langan. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.
Introduction
Welcome to Maple Street, a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island, its residents bound by their children, their work, and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world.
But menace skulks beneath the surface of this exclusive enclave, making its residents prone to outrage. When the Wilde family moves in, they trigger their neighbors’ worst fears. Dad Arlo’s a gruff has-been rock star with track marks. Mom Gertie’s got a thick Brooklyn accent, with high heels and tube tops to match. Their weird kids cuss like sailors. They don’t fit with the way Maple Street sees itself.
Though Maple Street’s Queen Bee, Rhea Schroeder—a lonely college professor repressing a dark past—welcomed Gertie and her family at first, relations went south during one spritzer-fueled summer evening, when the new best friends shared too much, too soon. By the time the story opens, the Wildes are outcasts.
As tensions mount, a sinkhole opens in a nearby park, and Rhea’s daughter Shelly falls inside. The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes. Suddenly, it is one mom’s word against the other’s in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood.
A riveting and ruthless portrayal of American suburbia, Good Neighbors excavates the perils and betrayals of motherhood and friendships and the dangerous clash between social hierarchy, childhood trauma, and fear.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
Before tragedy strikes on Maple Street, Julia and Shelly have a growing friendship. Other than the circumstance of being neighbors, what do you think bonds the girls together? Discuss what they have in common.