Good to a Fault - by Marina Endicott (Paperback)

About the Book

"There's heartbreak, there's joy, there are parts where you cry--and it's very high quality writing. Well done!" -- Margaret Atwood

"Unpretentious and affecting, with characters to remember and themes that linger and resound." -- Meg Wolitzer, New York Times bestselling author of The Ten-Year Nap

Marina Endicott's Good to a Fault wrings suspense and humor out of the everyday choices we make, revealing the delicate balance between sacrifice and self-interest, between doing good and being good. In the vein of the novels of Carol Shields and Ann Patchett, Good to a Fault is a "witty, wise. . . . [and] brilliantly paced" (Colm Toibin) delight.

Book Synopsis

"There's heartbreak, there's joy, there are parts where you cry--and it's very high quality writing. Well done!"
-- Margaret Atwood

"Unpretentious and affecting, with characters to remember and themes that linger and resound."
-- Meg Wolitzer, New York Times bestselling author of The Ten-Year Nap

Marina Endicott's Good to a Fault wrings suspense and humor out of the everyday choices we make, revealing the delicate balance between sacrifice and self-interest, between doing good and being good. In the vein of the novels of Carol Shields and Ann Patchett, Good to a Fault is a "witty, wise. . . . [and] brilliantly paced" (Colm Tóibín) delight.

From the Back Cover

Shortlisted for Canada's prestigious Giller Prize, this "profoundly humane novel" (Vancouver Sun), wrings suspense and humor out of the everyday choices we make, revealing the delicate balance between sacrifice and self-interest, doing good and being good.

Clara Purdy is at a crossroads. At forty-three, she is divorced, living in her late parents' house, and near-ing her twentieth year as a claims adjuster at a local insurance firm. Driving to the bank during her lunch hour, she crashes into a sharp left turn, taking the Gage family in the other car with her. When bruises on the mother, Lorraine, prove to be late-stage cancer, Clara decides to do the right thing. She moves Lorraine's three children and their terrible grandmother into her own house--and then has to cope with the consequences of practical goodness: exhaustion, fury, hilarity, and unexpected love.

What, exactly, does it mean to be good? What do we owe each other in this life, and what do we deserve? Good to a Fault is an ultimately joyful book that digs deep, with leavening humor, into questions of morality, class, and social responsibility. Marina Endicott looks at life and death through the compassionate, humane lens of a born novelist: being good, being at fault, and finding some balance in between.

Review Quotes

"Probing the moral and emotional minefield of heroic Samaritan acts, Endicott's enchanting and poignant novel of compassion run amok handles provocative issues with a deft and winsome touch." -- Carol Haggas, Booklist (starred review)

"A brilliantly balanced and engrossing work about illness, charity, and the very tenuous nature of goodness. Fans of contemporary fiction exploring the dangers of complacency and how domestic upheaval can lead to personal growth will enjoy; think Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Berg, and Anita Shreve. Highly recommended for all fiction collections." -- Jenn B. Stidham, Library Journal

"An Anne Tyler-esque domestic drama. . . . Narrated with such lambent detail and compassion that it succeeds in casting a spell. . . . A limpid, witty, humane talent to watch." -- Kirkus Reviews

"An enjoyable and affirming meditation on altruism, goodness, and loneliness.... A touching story." -- Publishers Weekly

"There's heartbreak, there's joy, there are parts where you cry--and it's very high quality writing. Well done!" -- Margaret Atwood, Giller Prize Jury remarks

"Good to a Fault is one of those novels you want to tell people about. It's unpretentious and affecting, with characters to remember and themes that linger and resound." -- Meg Wolitzer, New York Times bestselling author of The Ten-Year Nap