Good Company

On the afternoon of her daughter Ruby's high school graduation, Flora Mancini, while hunting for an old family photo, stumbles across a lost wedding ring, a ring that was supposed to have been lost and forgotten at the bottom of a pond for years, but somehow has reappeared. The discovery of the ring throws Flora's life into turmoil and casts her history with her husband, Julian, into doubt. Flora always thought she and Julian were the real thing, now she's not so sure. Over the course of the book, Sweeney weaves the present with the past of Flora and Julian and their friends Margot and David, creating a rich drama of family and relationships that comes to a reckoning at the very place where the photo that lead Flora to the ring was show more taken.

Poor Good Company seems to be having a rough go of it in the reviews I've read so far. People seem to think it doesn't live up Sweeney's smash hit debut, The Nest. Lucky for Good Company, I'm not that great at reading books, so I haven't even read the much-acclaimed The Nest, so Good Company gets to stand on its own merits. And it has them! Frankly, the way that the plot unfolded, acquainting readers with the characters and the histories by spending time with each character reminded me a bit of Maggie O'Farrell's style, which I love. I love a story with layers that slowly pulls them off until the characters and their stories feel real, and I long for their redemption as much as they do. I love the slow burn of this style, and I love the payoff, the moment of redemption or the moment when that redemption at least seems possible. I think Good Company accomplishes that without making things that are hard seem too easy.

In addition to what Sweeney does with her characters, I appreciated her talent for setting scenes. The book takes place primarily in three places - California, where Flora and Julian are finally both making a good living after years as struggling theater actors; New York City, where both characters got their start in the theater; and Stoneham, an idyllic upstate New York farm that hosts a yearly outdoor, avant-garde theater production. Sweeney captures the languor of a countryside summer interrupted by the excitement of a theater production. She brings to life a California that was meant to be a temporary stop for Flora and Julia, but a sun-washed spot where they made a home. New York and the theater scene is arguably the most well-drawn, and Sweeney captures the excitement of the theater people with big ideas trying to make them work and eke out a living, the scraping and struggling for roles, the living in a miniscule apartment, but also the magic of when it all just works.

I enjoyed Sweeney's sophomore effort, and if it is, indeed, the lesser of her two novels, then I imagine I'll quite love The Nest! show less

I was expecting more from this book after reading the synopsis and some good reviews. It was disappointing and the only reason I'm giving it 2 stars (instead of 1) is because it was set up well and the friendship of the two women main characters was realistically described. But that's not enough to recommend this novel. It took half of the book for the author to get back to the big plot point introduced in Chapter 1: Flora finds her husband's wedding ring that he claims he lost years ago. The author takes half of the novel to develop the characters and how they relate to each other before returning to the discovery of the "lost" wedding ring. This was supposed to be when the novel richly examines the issues of loyalty, friendship, show more marriage and family, but that didn't happen, or at least not in an engrossing way. Throughout the novel, the point of view rotated between a variety of characters so we learn what each is thinking, but I never felt sympathetic towards anyone except Flora. Several of the characters are actors, and use their skills to project a façade instead of being honest with those they love and have the closest relationships with. I didn't find this to be "a warm novel of marriage and friendship." Many of the characters were selfish and self-absorbed, as you might imagine actors often are. The author didn't give us a reason to care about them or their lives, and that's why I read in the first place. I can't recommend this. show less

This was a very satisfying novel. It's not great literature, but it deftly explores issues of marriage, friendship, infidelity, creativity, and motherhood. It's the story of two couples who meet as 20-somethings in New York City, three of them involved in theater and one a doctor. From different perspectives, Sweeney shows us the evolution of their relationships and careers and how it changed them. I liked the varied perspectives but occasionally found the shifts in time to be confusing at first. The whole thing, though, comes together really nicely. Also, the audio narration was excellent. I'll be seeking out more audios narrated by Marin Ireland.

4 stars

This quiet novel reminded me a lot of Crossing to Safety. Two married couples have been close friends for decades when a secret comes to light. The novel is less about the big reveal and more about the relationships that shape us. The pairs: a TV star and her doctor husband and a voice actress and her a theatre company director spouse. They’ve shared their ups and downs through the years. I appreciated the tender exploration of the choices they’ve made.

I read this while visiting my favorite theater company, which puts on Shakespeare at a huge outdoor theater. It was particularly appropriate as the author explores a theater company in the novel that produces immersive outdoor shows. I loved the moments of reflection about the impact show more of theater on audience and cast members alike.

In the end, marriage and friendships are hard. It’s easy to drift apart and difficult to fight to keep those relationships strong. Change in the dynamic is an evitable, but it’s worth the fight for the life you’ve built show less

The Short of It:

Marriage for some, is like walking a tightrope without a net.

The Rest of It:

When Julian and Flora first met, they were both struggling artists in the process of finding themselves. Scraping to get by was never enjoyable but there was something to be said for blood, sweat and tears and being able to build something together meant something. Good Company, a small theatre group born out of Julian’s dreams to run his own theatre took center stage for many years but when they each started to have their own successes with acting and then had a beautiful daughter of their own, they moved to Los Angeles and there, the romantic lure of acting wasn’t as shiny as it was when they were newly married yet still an important part show more of who they were.

The benefit to being in Los Angeles is that Flora is once again close to her dear friends Margo and David. Margo, also an actress but much more recognizable than Flora had ever been, is the friend that always grounds Flora no matter what is going on. Years and years of friendship and Margot’s own challenges with her husband who suffered a stroke, do nothing but bond them tighter together. That’s why Flora finds herself completely lost when a secret comes out and she’s not sure if she can turn to Margot for support.

This is one of those dishy reads that you zip through. There is a lot of mature drama. Marriage difficulties, insecurities, trying to keep up appearances for your adult child, the threat of an empty nest, success and what happens to a relationship when it’s been strained. Flora and Julian’s story is intermingled with that of Margot’s and I found it to be a good balance. This isn’t an “escape” read because it’s too rooted in real life for that feeling to overcome you but I didn’t mind spending time with these characters and felt that the ending was appropriately realistic.

I think I felt the same way about Sweeney’s previous book, The Nest. A good read but probably not one that will stick with me. I would have liked the story to go a bit deeper into Flora’s character. She had a lot going on and was presented with some very difficult choices. I would have appreciated more of her.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter. show less

This was the second time that I picked up this book to read it. The first time, I could not get past the first chapter, my brain just wasn't picking up what the author was putting down.

The second time I listened to the audiobook and I was able to read the whole book, woohoo! The first quarter of this book moved a little slow but once it started picking up speed it was an easy read. I like that the ending wasn't all sunshines and rainbows for all the characters. I loved Ruby's story arc and the career she found for herself. I also loved her reaction to the event in the airport even though she had the same plan, I could totally see myself doing the exact same thing as a teen. Overall, this was a good read.

The is my 2nd book by Sweeney. "The Nest" was a 5 star debut and she continues her excellence in this book. Not as good as the Nest but a good follow up. The main characters are Flora and Julian who are actors that have struggled but are now in Hollywood and doing well. They have a 18 year daughter Ruby who is graduating high school as the book opens. The other main characters are Margot(Flora's best friend) and David a doctor. Margot is a very successful actor in a soap opera and also living in L.A. The book deals with lots of back story about how everyone met and their relationships. Sweeney tells the story through the eyes of each character and she is has an engaging writing style.The story begins when Flora finds her husbands long show more lost wedding ring and realizes there is a problem. The rest of the book does of good job of dealing with all of the ups and downs of marriage, raising an only child and the entertainment industry. This is a worthwhile read. Start with this and then do " The Nest". A couple of excellent books. show less