We Are All Good People Here leads you to ponder the question “What is a good person?” Is it the person with nice things who attends church every Sunday and lives life as he or she is expected or is it the person who bucks the norm a little bit for the sake of what they believe is right?

Multigenerational stories are one of my favorite types and White did not disappoint with this one. This story weaves together the events that bring two women apart and bring them back together throughout their lives an how their actions- both past and present- have an impact on those they love. I could not put this book down and felt it ended perfectly with all the questions I had answered (though not all answers were what I expected). If you are a fan of Parenthood and This Is Us type stories this is the book for you!

A special thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for an advanced copy of this book- all thoughts in this review are completely my own.

Great book that starts out as a 'girls from different backgrounds meet in college and become friends book' but becomes so much more. Many historical events from the early 1960's to the early 1970's are touched on here and given context without the subjects becoming preachy-Civil Rights, Vietnam War, etc. Moving story about the complicated friendships between women which then translate into complicated relationships for their daughters.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

The friendship between Eve and Daniella is so fun and rich at the same time. It's wonderful to read stories with rich histories.

This one was really just "meh" for me. Three stars honestly feels a bit generous, but it wasn't bad, so I'll go with it. It just wasn't GOOD either. I think there was a lot of potential here, and an opportunity to dig into a piece of an era where there was a lot of division within and between generations. Unfortunately, it just never went that deep. Clearly the characters and storylines were deeply intertwined, but the book as a whole felt disjointed and just sort of random. Details were missing; the storylines jumped around and left out information that made me wonder if I had accidentally skipped chapters. The hearts of the main characters, Eve and Daniella, never really developed to a point I felt like I really knew them and what steered them down their paths in life. Many pieces of the story felt too "easy" - again, a result of not enough detail as to the why of things. So, overall it was just okay, and a bit of a disappointment because the ingredients for a truly good book were there. It just wasn't fully executed.

This was a wonderful book about friends who met in college and go through life together.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

It's the 60's, a decade full of change. College, two girls meet and become friends, then there is picketing and and war, and segregation and so much change. They grow, together then apart then together again. All to the tune of Bob Dylan. Read it, you won't be sorry.

We Are All Good People Here was an interesting read. I usually don’t like books that follow characters over the decades. Often, I find myself getting confused with what is going on and losing track of the plotline. Not in this book. We Are All Good People Here was an interesting, character-driven book that had me engrossed the entire time.

What I liked the most about this book was how the characters changed with each decade. Each decade showed a different side to Eve and Daniella. I enjoyed seeing the different sides of Eve and Daniella. I liked seeing how they related to each other in those periods of their lives. I loved seeing how their friendship evolved during the 30+ years the book covers. It made for a fantastic read.

I liked how the author had Eve and Daniella be on opposite ends of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War protests. It was interesting to read about Daniella’s time in Mississippi. I was interested in how Eve was immersed in a radical group. It fascinated me.

We Are All Good People Here covers so much that this review would be forever if I wrote about them all. Racism and discrimination were two of the main things discussed. Also discussed where same-sex couples, date rape, drug use, and radicalism. All these issues combined into one book made for a great read.

What I didn’t like was how Eve changed. It didn’t sit right with me. She was immersed in the culture of the underground radicals. So, for her to marry a lawyer and become a “perfect” wife was a hard pill to swallow.

I wasn’t a fan of Eve and Daniella’s kids taking over the book. But, I understood why the author did that. She wanted to introduce the issues that my generation had to deal with growing up.

The end of We Are All Good People Here was almost anticlimactic. I figured that Eve would end up doing what she did. Daniella, I didn’t expect her life to take the course that it did. It was an excellent ending to a great story. The talk that Daniella and Sarah had at the end of the book touched me.

Unfortunately-this wasn't my favorite. It had promise- I enjoyed reading about the girls getting to know each other and the time and place were interesting, but try as I might I could not get into it. It's well written but I think I wanted to connect with the characters more. It also seemed lobsided- lots of time was spent on the front end and the more interesting bits- navigating pregnancy and working, etc, felt less explored. Just okay.

The subject as well as title caught my attention. Unfortunately it did not hold my interest and I did not have the desire to complete reading the whole of it.

I’ve claimed for a long time that historical fiction is not for me. Yet I can’t help but gravitate toward novels that are indeed historical fiction. My latest interest in this genre stimulates from moving from my beloved home state of Michigan to the south in good ole’ Mississippi. We Are All Good People Here provides some interesting insight into my new home’s history. Not only the history though, I am getting a peak into the lives and traditions of true southerners. A game of ping pong between political views. And a new angle of thinking regarding southerners view on northerners or “Yanks” as they like to call me. And while I am focusing on the southerner aspect, this story is certainly not one sided. White writes about many extremes and varying traditions, views, political and religious beliefs.

We Are All Good People Here is mainly a story about two young women who meet as Freshman in college. Eve is a true southern belle just like her Mama and Grandmommy. Daniella is a half Jewish young lady whose parents volunteered for JFK’s presidential candidacy. These two unlikely ladies become the best of friends. They learn to love one another as true sisters despite different backgrounds. They inspire and aspire one in another in good and bad ways. We watch these women grow into their late twenties. And then we read about their girls growing into their twenties. All the while watching their belief system’s fold and unfold many times over.

White took on some very interesting and heavy subject matter. From racism to radicalism to rape and much more. It was incredibly interesting reading how one’s upbringing in a certain region of the country affects one’s actions and reactions in some tough situations. White doesn’t really sugar coat the times and influences that other human beings can have on one another. I really loved the extremes that she brought forth. White certainly put some lessons into perspective too. Never underestimate the power of influence. Whether it be social, media or religious have some awareness.

Additionally, I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. Each chapter has a set theme or situation that happened. The next chapter will be a few years later with a brief summary catching the reader up with the time lapse and a narrative about that chapters focus. White did not dilly dally. She got to the point and kept the story moving forward. I found the pace to be done quite nicely. This can be an issue with some stories that cover a great amount of time. But I assure you, White did not have that issue.

Now I am going to give this story a 4 star rating and here is why. I totally gobbled up the Part 1 of this story. I loved learning about these two women growing up in the early sixties. Despite either of their views, these characters were incredibly likable even if you found your little issues with them. While reading Part 2, I didn’t really connect with Sarah or Anne. Yes, I felt for their story lines. I simply didn’t feel like I cared about them as greatly. I wanted the focus to return to Eve and Daniella. But I understand and enjoyed Part 2 with Sarah and Anne, just not as much as their mothers. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid novel. And what I was most impressed with is it that doesn’t really call out anyone’s beliefs. It simply provides insights into a various range of them. Very nicely done, White!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the read!

A story of Daniella and Eve who meet at a private all female college in the 1960s and become best friends. The story takes you through the years and see what path they each go on. Great character development with what feels like truly real women and a real friendship between the two.

From the days of JFK to the early days of Clinton, this story of two young women growing up and becoming adults during a tumultuous time in our history.

Coming from totally different backgrounds, Eve and Daniella, meet at school and are soon finding a sense of belonging while also having their eyes opened to the harshness and unfairness of life in the South and beyond. Racism is an ugly thing. And sometimes the more you try and help, the worse things become.

From school to their own children, they take very different approaches to life, with Eve making some choices that may come back to haunt them all.

Great read. A hard read. Will we ever be able to see beyond color and class?

I'm not sure but I'm glad I read this.

Well Done!

NetGalley/ August 6th, 2019 by Atria Books

The members of SMASH believed it was better to die in honor than to live as their parents did..."~from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca While

How do we change society? Can we change society? Who are the 'good people' and can 'good people' do bad things for the right reason and still be 'good'? Can people really change?

I was interested in the questions posed by the novel.

The story begins in the early 1960s when two girls meet in a private women's college in the South and become best friends. Their rising awareness of social racism makes them question the values of their society. Decisions are made that take them in different directions. One girl works within the system while accepting the social expectations for a rising female lawyer. The other girl follows a charismatic radical into ever more violent protests and when she has lost everything she seeks out her old friend to help her return to society.

The novel is filled with historical detail and events. Medgar Evans and Fannie Lou Hamer, Bob Dylan and Dr. Strangelove, the murders of James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman, "Hey! Hey! LBJ how many kids did you kill today" are mentioned.

It was very hard to follow Eve into the very dark place she ends up in. I nearly set the book aside as her life became quite disturbing. But I did pick it back up.

Babe, you opted out of a normal life a long time ago.~ from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

Can we keep our pasts a secret? Can we completely change? In the end, Eve became the very person she had sought to avoid becoming. And yet--she still needed a man to guide her. Daniella may have 'sold out' and but she gives it up for important work that better fits her values.

Warren St. Clair was a charismatic and idealistic man who is also misogynistic and self-absorbed. Eve knows his reputation, but can't resist him, following him from place to place. When Warren escalates to violence against the system, Eve follows him underground.

Meanwhile, Daniella marries a 'reformed' Republican, a good man who believes that social change happens slowly. Daniella pushes the envelope as a lawyer, working twice as hard to break into the old-boy network.

Justice does not simply show up on it own, gliding in on the wings of platitudes and the promise of prayers. ~from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca Smith

In mid-age, both women shift, the radical Eva embracing safety and surety and marriage that brings prosperity, and the widowed conformist Daniella chucking it all for non-profit work helping men on death row.

The book could have ended here, but instead, we see how the women's decisions impact the next generation.

Eve and Danilla each have a daughter. Eve's daughter Anna has everything and more, dressing in Laura Ashley clothing and driving a new car. Daniella is financially well off, too, but she insists on a lifestyle in keeping with her values. Used clothing, no conspicuous consumption.

Daniella works and Eve is a housewife, so Daniella leaves her daughter Sarah with 'Aunt Eve' under the care of the maid. Sarah is envious of Anna's life and she worries that her mom is economically insecure.

Eve has a secret that is exposed. When Anna has learned the truth about her mother, it creates a rift.

There is an interesting theme on religion through the novel that is not central to the plot but takes enough space to show the author's concern.

Early in the novel Eve and Warren St. Clair and have a discussion about the value of the church in society. Warren believes the cathedral is a waste of space better used for affordable housing. Eve thinks there is nothing more useful than a church. Warren mentions the German Lutheran Church was complicit with the Nazis, and Eve retorts, not Bonhoeffer's church. Sure, Warren replies. But Bonhoeffer was executed by the state which proves the church either is complicit or martyrs.

Near the end of the novel Daniella and her daughter Sarah have a talk about religion. Eve has joined a right-wing evangelical church led by a charismatic preacher--still drawn to those charismatic men.

Sarah asks Daniella, what if one must hit 'rock bottom' to be saved? Daniella believes in the social gospel, God's will for "the reconciliation of all people" as opposed to God daming some and saving others.

But Sarah understands that her Aunt Eve is searching for stability and family. Daniella only sees that Eve jumps from one "dogma" to another.

Again, a juxtaposition between two choices arises. Is changing the world better than saving souls? Do we need to become completely powerlessness before we can accept God? Is doing justice and showing mercy the mark of walking humbly with one's God?

The book is summed up in one sentence:

We are all good people here, all trying to muddle through this the best we can. ~from We Are All Good People Here by Susan Rebecca White

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

I normally don’t gravitate towards historical stories but I did enjoy this one. The plot line was interesting in the historical references as well

I was able to read this fantastic book thanks to NetGalley. I was intrigued by the premise especially as it opens in my hometown. Two girls who come from extremely different backgrounds are pushed together as roommates. They become great friends and the book follows them through decades of turmoil. They encounter changes in the country, racism, politics. This book could spark major nostalgia. I enjoyed it a great deal. Thanks again to NetGalley.

A very good read, and if you are of a certain age, it was a wonderful walk down memory lane of the 60’s. It is the story of two girls, who become close friends, but then choose to walk down different paths.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the story of Eve and Daniella, who meet at a small, private all-female college in the 1960s. The two girls become instant best friends and the friendship transforms Eve, a debutante raised in a wealthy Atlanta household. Daniella is from the north, Jewish and liberal and Eve is immediately drawn to her views, taking them far further. As the years go by, their paths diverge as Eve becomes more and more radical, eventually joining a group similar to The Weathermen, while Daniella becomes a lawyer at a time when a woman's career is meant to be a pastime until she get married. But fate brings them back together again.

This is a book with tremendous promise. Eve's story alone, and how she went from obedient debutante to underground radical in hiding provides enough substance for a dozen books. And then there's Daniella's fierce determination to forge a career and have a family regardless of the opposition she faced. But all of this is lost in the sheer amount of time and number of events this novel attempts to encompass. Stretching from 1962, to when their own daughters begin university, there's simply too much to fit in one novel and somehow the most interesting bits, from what motivated Eve to join a radical group that flirted with terrorism and what she thought of it all, to how Daniella negotiated her professional life, working to be taken seriously in a Southern law firm, are glossed over in a single paragraph or omitted entirely, in favor of spending many pages describing the traditions of a sorority neither girl joined. The details were interesting, I enjoyed learning about repousse silver tea sets, but I wonder if those paragraphs might have been better used giving an example of how Daniella managed to make the men in her law firm take her seriously, or how she negotiated her pregnancy while working. Or if those paragraphs might have been better used showing how Eve felt about her open relationship or how she was drawn into the radical group and what she thought about it.

Both characters, as well as their daughters are never given the space to become complex and breathing individuals. Daniella's daughter is the most well-rounded character, but as she mainly reacts to the big events around here, from date rape of a friend, to another friend's same sex relationship, she remains a way to show changes in society than a person in her own right. The novel is well-written and when White does go into detail, it's clear she knows what she's writing about. And there was always something happening. But in the end the novel simply tried to do too much and ended up being a frustrating outline of something better.

3.5 stars for me

It has been six years, I believe, since Ms. White's last book (which I really loved) so I was very happy to be able to read We Are All Good People Here sooner than its publication date. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

We Are All Good People Here covers an important period of time in our history -- from the 60's to the 90's through the eyes of two women from very different backgrounds (geographically and otherwise) who meet when they become college roommates. As an aside, one of the funniest parts of the book for me, was early on, when we learn that Eve brought a silver tea set with her for their college dorm room (college was quite different for me some 10 years later...).

The book covers an ambitious period of time and is well researched, featuring interesting characters and storylines. The two weaknesses, for me, were the very abrupt change in Eve's character and that the book tried to tackle what seemed to be almost every social issue present in those three decades.

I am always rather wary of issue-driven novels which can be too concerned with moralistic polemicising to breathe real life into the characters. However, this is not the case here as the author has presented a balanced and non-judgemental account of how the pursuance of any ideology to extremes will likely end in tears. The era covered starts with that of my generation, so it is a jolt to realise this is classed as historical fiction, but I enjoyed the trip down a memory lane with much of the same scenery, landmarks and pitfalls.

3.5 for this one, I’ll round it up.
Daniella and Eve meet when they start college and are paired as roommates at Belmont in Roanoke, Virginia 1962.
They become the best of friends and end up becoming involved in the social issues of the time, Eve.. becoming extremely radical.

This is a multigenerational story, you will also see the coming up years of their own daughters.
It covers thirty years of American history, from Kennedy’s Camelot through the Vietnam War and racial issues, etc.

The subject matter I always like reading about because I was born in 1958, and lived through much of these times as a child but wasn’t completely aware of everything going on in the world since I was so young.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!