GOOD EGGS
by Rebecca Hardiman | Publication: March 9, 2021Atria | Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★
"This funny, endearing story is one that all families can relate to."
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A hilarious and heartfelt debut novel following three generations of a boisterous Irish family whose simmering tensions boil over when an American home aide enters the picture, becoming the calamitous force that will either undo or remake this family—perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Evvie Drake Starts Over.
When Kevin Gogarty’s irrepressible eighty-three-year-old mother, Millie, is caught shoplifting yet again, he has no choice but to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on her. Kevin, recently unemployed, is already at his wits’ end tending to a full house while his wife travels to exotic locales for work, leaving him solo with his sulky, misbehaved teenaged daughter, Aideen, whose troubles escalate when she befriends the campus rebel at her new boarding school.
Into the Gogarty fray steps Sylvia, Millie’s upbeat American home aide, who appears at first to be their saving grace—until she catapults the Gogarty clan into their greatest crisis yet.
With charm, humor, and pathos to spare, Good Eggs is a delightful study in self-determination; the notion that it’s never too late to start living; and the unique redemption that family, despite its maddening flaws, can offer. -Publisher
When Kevin Gogarty’s irrepressible eighty-three-year-old mother, Millie, is caught shoplifting yet again, he has no choice but to hire a caretaker to keep an eye on her. Kevin, recently unemployed, is already at his wits’ end tending to a full house while his wife travels to exotic locales for work, leaving him solo with his sulky, misbehaved teenaged daughter, Aideen, whose troubles escalate when she befriends the campus rebel at her new boarding school.
Into the Gogarty fray steps Sylvia, Millie’s upbeat American home aide, who appears at first to be their saving grace—until she catapults the Gogarty clan into their greatest crisis yet.
With charm, humor, and pathos to spare, Good Eggs is a delightful study in self-determination; the notion that it’s never too late to start living; and the unique redemption that family, despite its maddening flaws, can offer. -Publisher
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In Rebecca Hardiman’s debut novel, readers meet three generations of the Gogarty family from Dublin, Ireland. You’ve met people like them before—in fact, we’ve all been in their shoes at some point. This funny, endearing story is one that all families can relate to.
The book opens with Millie, the octogenarian matriarch of the Gogarty family, shoplifting from a local store. She’s a total riot and the widowed mother of Kevin, though she can also be a pain in the arse when she wants to be. Millie desperately wants to maintain her independence amidst growing concerns about her safety. I love her free spirit, bravery, and kind nature.
Meanwhile, Kevin’s daughter, Aideen, is a self-confessed Clean-Cut fanatic and introvert. She barely makes friends, is extremely sensitive, and is a rebel in the making—but she’s got a good head on her shoulders and her heart is in the right place. Kevin went through all the hoops to get her accepted into Millburn, an all-girls boarding school.
Kevin, on the other hand, is the nominal parent. Currently unemployed, dealing with low self-esteem, and stuck on the low end of digital publishing, he is doing his best to play house-husband while his wife frequently travels for work. He has everyone’s best interests at heart, but he is a very poor judge of character.
Hardiman puts together an inspiring plot explored through humor and vibrant Irish culture. Each character’s inner self is fleshed out engagingly; they are definitely flawed, but a basket of GOOD EGGS just the same. It’s lovely following the Gogarty family’s misadventures and seeing how everyone gets a chance at redemption and grows closer in the process.
The book opens with Millie, the octogenarian matriarch of the Gogarty family, shoplifting from a local store. She’s a total riot and the widowed mother of Kevin, though she can also be a pain in the arse when she wants to be. Millie desperately wants to maintain her independence amidst growing concerns about her safety. I love her free spirit, bravery, and kind nature.
Meanwhile, Kevin’s daughter, Aideen, is a self-confessed Clean-Cut fanatic and introvert. She barely makes friends, is extremely sensitive, and is a rebel in the making—but she’s got a good head on her shoulders and her heart is in the right place. Kevin went through all the hoops to get her accepted into Millburn, an all-girls boarding school.
Kevin, on the other hand, is the nominal parent. Currently unemployed, dealing with low self-esteem, and stuck on the low end of digital publishing, he is doing his best to play house-husband while his wife frequently travels for work. He has everyone’s best interests at heart, but he is a very poor judge of character.
Hardiman puts together an inspiring plot explored through humor and vibrant Irish culture. Each character’s inner self is fleshed out engagingly; they are definitely flawed, but a basket of GOOD EGGS just the same. It’s lovely following the Gogarty family’s misadventures and seeing how everyone gets a chance at redemption and grows closer in the process.
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About the Author:
Rebecca Hardiman is a former magazine editor who lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children. Good Eggs is her first novel. Photograph by Ron Holtz Studio.
Rebecca Hardiman is a former magazine editor who lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children. Good Eggs is her first novel. Photograph by Ron Holtz Studio.
*Thanks to Atria and Simon & Schuster CA
for the printed galley in exchange for this unbiased review.
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This sounds like a really sweet book! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :)
ReplyDeleteIt is!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Hayley.:)