Good Riddance - Annotated by Elinor Lipman (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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.

Good Riddance is a pitch-perfect, whip-smart new novel from an "enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist" (Washington Post).

Review Quotes

A New York Times Editors' Choice A LibraryReads Pick Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"

"Effortlessly charming . . . The book inspires a very specific kind of modern joy." - New York Times Book Review

"A clever romantic comedy from a pro . . . The rollicking plot ultimately leads to romance, revealing this witty story's warm and fuzzy heart." - People

"[Lipman] has long been one of our wittiest chroniclers of modern-day romance. [Her] writing is brisk and intelligent, and if the plot of this novel is zanier than her usual fare, that too may show just how plugged-in she is to out farfetched times." - Wall Street Journal

"A vastly entertaining screwball comedy...Witty, dippy and daft, we have here a genuine, guilty pleasure." - Washington Post

"The ultimate V-Day binge read." - Cosmopolitan

"[A] bonbon of a book...Good Riddance makes for lively reading, and it's not hard to imagine it as a rom-com...Lipman's audience is in for a delectable treat." - BookReporter.com

"Fans of Lipman will cheer for a new novel in her signature style: funny, warm, sharp, smart, and full of love for family, no matter how flawed." - Library Journal

"Au courant elements . . . add a fresh twist to the proceedings. Lipman's narrative brio keeps things moving at a good clip." - Kirkus Reviews

"It's good riddance to dismay and hello to happiness in this witty romantic comedy." - Shelf Awareness for Readers

"The sharp, smart wit of Elinor Lipman is a treasure and Good Riddance more than delivers with laugh out loud dialogue, wise social commentary, and thoughtful observations about love." - Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life

"Elinor Lipman always delights with her romantic comedies, and Good Riddance is Lipman at her best: funny, smart, and utterly charming." - PopSugar

"You'll adore this sweet and funny new novel." - Parade.com

"Lipman is the easiest writer to read, but she stays with you because she's such a good writer...A true pleasure...[She] is such a fine stylist...[Good Riddance] is hilarious, [with] wonderful romantic elements [and] a witty line on every page, in every paragraph." - Bill Goldstein, NBC's "Bill's Books"

"Lipman is a writer to savor. Her wit is at once light and serious, ringing with humanity, and her tangled plots are full of surprises...Her writing is reminiscent of the late, fine writer Laurie Colwin." - New York Jewish Week

"To the many readers who have happily drowned their worries in the sparkling waters of Lipman's fizzy fiction, it is obvious that Lipman was born to entertain us . . . Lipman writes with a light, wry touch that tips a hat to life's many challenges but never throws in the towel." - San Diego Union-Tribune

"When you come to the end of Good Riddance [...] you'll definitely be delighted." - Washington Post

"The question of who gets to tell one's own story lies at the heart of Lipman's smart, sassy, and satisfying rom-com . . . Luckily for fans of contemporary women's fiction, the answer is Lipman as she once again delivers a tightly woven, lightly rendered, but insightfully important novel of the pitfalls to be avoided and embraced on one's path to self-discovery." - Booklist

"Lipman's satisfying latest is a worthy addition to her long lineup of smart, witty novels. . . a charming romantic comedy . . . with a stellar cast of supporting characters [. . . ] and intelligent and lyrical prose . . . A delightful treat readers will want to savor." - Publishers Weekly

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