Good Riddance

“Effortlessly charming . . . The book inspires a very specific kind of modern joy.”
—New York Times Book Review

The delightful new romantic comedy from Elinor Lipman, in which one woman’s trash becomes another woman’s treasure, with deliriously entertaining results.

Daphne Maritch doesn't quite know what to make of the heavily annotated high school yearbook she inherits from her mother, who held this relic dear. Too dear. The late June Winter Maritch was the teacher to whom the class of '68 had dedicated its yearbook, and in turn she went on to attend every reunion, scribbling notes and observations after each one—not always charitably—and noting who overstepped boundaries of many kinds.

In a fit of decluttering (the yearbook did not, Daphne concluded, "spark joy"), she discards it when she moves to a small New York City apartment. But when it's found in the recycling bin by a busybody neighbor/documentary filmmaker, the yearbook's mysteries—not to mention her own family's—take on a whole new urgency, and Daphne finds herself entangled in a series of events both poignant and absurd. 
 
Good Riddance is a pitch-perfect, whip-smart new novel from an "enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist" (Washington Post). 

A LibraryReads Pick Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"—Fiction, Notables “Effortlessly charming . . . The book inspires a very specific kind of modern joy.” —New York Times Book Review "A clever romantic comedy from a pro . . . The rollicking plot ultimately leads to romance, revealing this witty story’s warm and fuzzy heart." —People

"[Lipman] has long been one of our wittiest chroniclers of modern-day romance. [Her] writing is brisk and intelligent, and if the plot of this novel is zanier than her usual fare, that too may show just how plugged-in she is to out farfetched times." 

—Wall Street Journal “The ultimate V-Day binge read.” —Cosmopolitan

"The question of who gets to tell one’s own story lies at the heart of Lipman’s smart, sassy, and satisfying rom-com . . . Luckily for fans of contemporary women’s fiction, the answer is Lipman as she once again delivers a tightly woven, lightly rendered, but insightfully important novel of the pitfalls to be avoided and embraced on one’s path to self-discovery." —Booklist "Lipman’s satisfying latest is a worthy addition to her long lineup of smart, witty novels. . . a charming romantic comedy . . . with a stellar cast of supporting characters [. . . ] and intelligent and lyrical prose . . .  A delightful treat readers will want to savor." —Publishers Weekly   "Fans of Lipman will cheer for a new novel in her signature style: funny, warm, sharp, smart, and full of love for family, no matter how flawed." —Library Journal "Au courant elements . . . add a fresh twist to the proceedings. Lipman's narrative brio keeps things moving at a good clip." —Kirkus Reviews "The sharp, smart wit of Elinor Lipman is a treasure and Good Riddance more than delivers with laugh out loud dialogue, wise social commentary, and thoughtful observations about love." —Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life  “Elinor Lipman always delights with her romantic comedies, and Good Riddance is Lipman at her best: funny, smart, and utterly charming.” —PopSugar “You’ll adore this sweet and funny new novel.”  —Parade.com “[A] bonbon of a book...Good Riddance makes for lively reading, and it’s not hard to imagine it as a rom-com...Lipman’s audience is in for a delectable treat.” —BookReporter.com  

Praise for Elinor Lipman: “I have not read an American writer who can do what Elinor Lipman does: take a poignant situation and transform it, in a moment of instant recognition, into something as wryly perfect as a New Yorker cartoon.”—Anita Shreve   “Up there at the top is where this enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist belongs.”—Fay Weldon, Washington Post   “One of the last urbane romantics.”—Julia Glass, Chicago Tribune   “A full-fledged talent, a witty, compassionate chronicler of modern sensibility...Contemporary as Lipman is in her choice of setting and language, she is also a refreshingly old-fashioned writer who sets up on our expectations and then, by golly, delivers.”—Boston Globe Praise for On Turpentine Lane: “Light and tight, On Turpentine Lane is constructed with an almost scary mastery. Not a single thread dangles, not a single character is left without a place in Faith’s world. . . A neat bourbon swapped for the usual rom-com grenadine.”—The New York Times Book Review “The cleverly tangled plot—along with some snappy dialogue and a wry, likeable heroine—makes Lipman’s latest a diverting delight.”—People “When there's already too much darkness in the world and a cheering respite is in order, we can all be glad for Elinor Lipman's On Turpentine Lane, a romantic comedy with just enough sly wit to keep it from turning sugary...We can trust that like her foremothers Jane Austen and Laurie Colwin, Lipman will find a way to make the world right for her heroine. Would that she could do so for the rest of us!”—O, The Oprah Magazine “A new Elinor Lipman novel is always a cause for celebration. And her newest will not disappoint . . . On Turpentine Lane is another pitch-perfect, delightful romantic comedy from the beloved author of The Inn at Lake Devine.” —Pop Sugar

Praise for Elinor Lipman: “I have not read an American writer who can do what Elinor Lipman does: take a poignant situation and transform it, in a moment of instant recognition, into something as wryly perfect as a New Yorker cartoon.”—Anita Shreve   “Up there at the top is where this enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist belongs.”—Fay Weldon, Washington Post   “One of the last urbane romantics.”—Julia Glass, Chicago Tribune   “A full-fledged talent, a witty, compassionate chronicler of modern sensibility...Contemporary as Lipman is in her choice of setting and language, she is also a refreshingly old-fashioned writer who sets up on our expectations and then, by golly, delivers.”—Boston Globe Praise for On Turpentine Lane: “Light and tight, On Turpentine Lane is constructed with an almost scary mastery. Not a single thread dangles, not a single character is left without a place in Faith’s world.  The story folds out and back in as neatly as an origami flower, and Faith recounts it all with a raised eyebrow and plenty of cheek.  . . . Lipman seems to have the most fun writing ridiculous characters, which may be why the novel’s worst people are so enjoyable . . .  A neat bourbon swapped for the usual rom-com grenadine.”—The New York Times Book Review “When a restless woman impulsively buys a dilapidated cottage, she winds up with problems she didn’t anticipate: love trouble, family disarray, even a murder investigation. The cleverly tangled plot—along with some snappy dialogue and a wry, likeable heroine—makes Lipman’s latest a diverting delight.”—People “When there's already too much darkness in the world and a cheering respite is in order, we can all be glad for Elinor Lipman's On Turpentine Lane, a romantic comedy with just enough sly wit to keep it from turning sugary...We can trust that like her foremothers Jane Austen and Laurie Colwin, Lipman will find a way to make the world right for her heroine. Would that she could do so for the rest of us!”—O, The Oprah Magazine “A new Elinor Lipman novel is always a cause for celebration. And her newest will not disappoint . . . On Turpentine Lane is another pitch-perfect, delightful romantic comedy from the beloved author of The Inn at Lake Devine.” —Pop Sugar

Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"—Fiction, Notables "The sharp, smart wit of Elinor Lipman is a treasure and Good Riddance more than delivers with laugh out loud dialogue, wise social commentary, and thoughtful observations about love." —Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life   

A New York Times Editors' Choice A LibraryReads Pick Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"—Fiction, Notables “Effortlessly charming . . . The book inspires a very specific kind of modern joy.” —New York Times Book Review "A clever romantic comedy from a pro . . . The rollicking plot ultimately leads to romance, revealing this witty story’s warm and fuzzy heart." —People

"[Lipman] has long been one of our wittiest chroniclers of modern-day romance. [Her] writing is brisk and intelligent, and if the plot of this novel is zanier than her usual fare, that too may show just how plugged-in she is to out farfetched times." 

—Wall Street Journal “The ultimate V-Day binge read.” —Cosmopolitan “Lipman is the easiest writer to read, but she stays with you because she’s such a good writer...A true pleasure...[She] is such a fine stylist...[Good Riddance] is hilarious, [with] wonderful romantic elements [and] a witty line on every page, in every paragraph.” —Bill Goldstein, NBC’s “Bill’s Books” “When you come to the end of Good Riddance [...] you’ll definitely be delighted.” —Washington Post "The question of who gets to tell one’s own story lies at the heart of Lipman’s smart, sassy, and satisfying rom-com . . . Luckily for fans of contemporary women’s fiction, the answer is Lipman as she once again delivers a tightly woven, lightly rendered, but insightfully important novel of the pitfalls to be avoided and embraced on one’s path to self-discovery."

—Booklist "Lipman’s satisfying latest is a worthy addition to her long lineup of smart, witty novels. . . a charming romantic comedy . . . with a stellar cast of supporting characters [. . . ] and intelligent and lyrical prose . . .  A delightful treat readers will want to savor." —Publishers Weekly   "Fans of Lipman will cheer for a new novel in her signature style: funny, warm, sharp, smart, and full of love for family, no matter how flawed." —Library Journal "Au courant elements . . . add a fresh twist to the proceedings. Lipman's narrative brio keeps things moving at a good clip." —Kirkus Reviews "The sharp, smart wit of Elinor Lipman is a treasure and Good Riddance more than delivers with laugh out loud dialogue, wise social commentary, and thoughtful observations about love." —Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life  “Elinor Lipman always delights with her romantic comedies, and Good Riddance is Lipman at her best: funny, smart, and utterly charming.” —PopSugar “You’ll adore this sweet and funny new novel.”  —Parade.com “[A] bonbon of a book...Good Riddance makes for lively reading, and it’s not hard to imagine it as a rom-com...Lipman’s audience is in for a delectable treat.” —BookReporter.com  

A LibraryReads Pick Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"—Fiction, Notables "The question of who gets to tell one’s own story lies at the heart of Lipman’s smart, sassy, and satisfying rom-com . . . Luckily for fans of contemporary women’s fiction, the answer is Lipman as she once again delivers a tightly woven, lightly rendered, but insightfully important novel of the pitfalls to be avoided and embraced on one’s path to self-discovery." —Booklist "Lipman’s satisfying latest is a worthy addition to her long lineup of smart, witty novels. . . a charming romantic comedy . . . with a stellar cast of supporting characters [. . . ] and intelligent and lyrical prose . . .  A delightful treat readers will want to savor." —Publishers Weekly   "Fans of Lipman will cheer for a new novel in her signature style: funny, warm, sharp, smart, and full of love for family, no matter how flawed." —Library Journal "Au courant elements . . . add a fresh twist to the proceedings. Lipman's narrative brio keeps things moving at a good clip." —Kirkus Reviews "The sharp, smart wit of Elinor Lipman is a treasure and Good Riddance more than delivers with laugh out loud dialogue, wise social commentary, and thoughtful observations about love." —Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life  “Elinor Lipman always delights with her romantic comedies, and Good Riddance is Lipman at her best: funny, smart, and utterly charming.” —PopSugar

Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"—Fiction, Notables "The question of who gets to tell one’s own story lies at the heart of Lipman’s smart, sassy, and satisfying rom-com . . . Luckily for fans of contemporary women’s fiction, the answer is Lipman as she once again delivers a tightly woven, lightly rendered, but insightfully important novel of the pitfalls to be avoided and embraced on one’s path to self-discovery." —Booklist "Lipman’s satisfying latest is a worthy addition to her long lineup of smart, witty novels. . . a charming romantic comedy . . . with a stellar cast of supporting characters [. . . ] and intelligent and lyrical prose . . .  A delightful treat readers will want to savor." —Publishers Weekly   "Fans of Lipman will cheer for a new novel in her signature style: funny, warm, sharp, smart, and full of love for family, no matter how flawed." —Library Journal "Au courant elements . . . add a fresh twist to the proceedings. Lipman's narrative brio keeps things moving at a good clip." —Kirkus Reviews "The sharp, smart wit of Elinor Lipman is a treasure and Good Riddance more than delivers with laugh out loud dialogue, wise social commentary, and thoughtful observations about love." —Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life  “Elinor Lipman always delights with her romantic comedies, and Good Riddance is Lipman at her best: funny, smart, and utterly charming.” —PopSugar

Included in the Publishers Lunch "Publishing Preview"—Fiction, Notables "The question of who gets to tell one’s own story lies at the heart of Lipman’s smart, sassy, and satisfying rom-com. Luckily for fans of contemporary women’s fiction, the answer is Lipman as she once again delivers a tightly woven, lightly rendered, but insightfully important novel of the pitfalls t...