The Good Neighbor

by William Kowalski

Book Overview

When Francie and Colt Hart drive past an abandoned 150-year-old farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania, they both fall head-over-heels in love with it -- but for entirely different reasons. Colt, an ambitious, hard-charging stock trader, sees it as a potential showcase for his wealth. Francie, long dependent on antidepressants, hopes it will inspire her to resume the literary life she abandoned when she married Colt ten years before; perhaps, she thinks,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060936258
• ISBN13: 9780060936259
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.0" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

The good book... The Good Neighbor

The Good Neighbor by William Kowalski is a new on 'the top of the list' list. This was such a fun book, from the front jacket design to the pages inside. The book is set in NYC and PA. You instantly are drawn into the world of Francine and Colt Hart. They take a drive to the country, and pass a house that they both fall in love with at the same time. Francie and Colt express the wish to buy the house to each other, and they do. Francine, a stale poet, who feels drawn to the house, as if it was another person, and hopes to live her full time and write again. Colt, a stock broker, loves the feel of the house as his newest show piece at work, his country home. This book is so well written, the writing is smooth and flawless. The plot is seamless, as you learn about Francie and Colt Hart, their new neighbors who are descendents of the houses' original owners. There is love, mystery, growth and rescue from the depth of our inner selves. I am looking forward to reading more of William Kowalski's books!

My Favourite Book For 2006! Thanks John!

My mate John down at the Hamilton Place Bookstore in Mount Waverley lent me this book to read and I was totally mesmerized by this novel. It is about a yuppie married couple Francie and Coltraine who buy an old house in the country. Francie wants the house as a permanent residence but Colt just wants it as a place to impress his work collegues. The characters in this book then evolve slowly leading to a very believable climax. This book is about regaining lost hope and redemption. Thanks a lot John for loaning me this book!William Kowalski Rocks!

A good story

I enjoyed the story and historical references. However, the characters, especially the wife, are not fully developed and the ending was disappointing.

Accomplished, masterfully constructed and inspiring!

I've read all of William Kowalski's novels since he immediately became one of my favorite contemporary American authors with his stunning debut, "Eddie's Bastard". "The Good Neighbor" is a surprisingly accomplished and mature work for an author of Kowalski's still young age and marks a departure point for him. While his earlier books seem written from overpowering talent and passion, "The Good Neighbor" is clearly the work of an author who has grown into conscious mastery of his craft. While his prose is as expressive and flows as effortlessly as ever, "The Good Neighbor's" plot is masterfully constructed, and every element of the story falls into place with the precision of a Swiss clockwork. The characters are alive and drawn with astounding psychological accuracy, particularly Francie, the unlikely hero of the novel. Kowalski is not preoccupied with the fleeting moments of pop-culture. Instead he is an author of substance, concerned with the humanity of his characters in which we all recognize ourselves. In the case of "the Good Neighbor" is Francie Hart's courageous and inspiring story of self-discovery that will leave no one untouched.