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The Best Kind of People Paperback – August 27, 2016

by Zoe Whittall (Author)

3.9 1,951 ratings

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A finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and a national bestseller, Zoe Whittall’s The Best Kind of People is a stunning tour de force about the unravelling of an all-American family.

George Woodbury, an affable teacher and beloved husband and father, is arrested for sexual impropriety at a prestigious prep school. His wife, Joan, vaults between denial and rage as the community she loved turns on her. Their daughter, Sadie, a popular over-achieving high school senior, becomes a social pariah. Their son, Andrew, assists in his father’s defense, while wrestling with his own unhappy memories of his teen years. A local author tries to exploit their story, while an unlikely men’s rights activist attempts to get Sadie onside their cause. With George locked up, how do the members of his family pick up the pieces and keep living their lives? How do they defend someone they love while wrestling with the possibility of his guilt?

With exquisite emotional precision, award-winning author Zoe Whittallexplores issues of loyalty, truth, and the meaning of happiness through the lens of an all-American family on the brink of collapse.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Whittall places the reader right at the centre of their pain. It’s the best depiction of female suffering I’ve read since Jane Smiley eloquently tackled sexual abuse in A Thousand Acres.” — Toronto Star“Nuanced to the end, Whittall’s novel achieves something that’s rare in real-life cases of sexual violence. She gives a voice to the ones we never hear from: those who are collateral damage. ― Chatelaine

Toronto author Zoe Whittall’s new novel The Best Kind of People is the best kind of book — it’s got a compelling story, characters readers will recognize and come to love, and writing that makes it effortless to turn page after page. ― Vancouver Sun

Fast-paced … but never melodramatic. ― Maclean’s

Exquisitely emotional. ― Owen Sound Sun Times

An astounding portrait of a character by omission. ― National Post

Whittall raises her game dramatically in this Giller-shortlisted novel. ― NOW Magazine

A story like this never ends… . A humane, clear eyed attempt to explore the ripple effects of sexual crime. ― Kirkus Reviews

Heartbreaking and complex, The Best Kind of People offers no easy answers. This is a masterly exploration of the damage an entire community incurs when the secret at the heart of its most perfect family detonates. -- Lynn Coady author of The Antagonist

The Best Kind of People examines the effects of rape culture on an entire community with rare nuance and insight. Every character is fully rounded, flawed, and achingly human. It puts me in mind of a twenty-first-century Ordinary People — which, for the record, is one of my favourite novels. -- Kate Harding, author of Asking For It: The Alarming Rise of Rape Culture — and What We Can Do About It

With incredibly rare nuance, sensitivity, and insight, Zoe Whittall takes us deep into our contemporary conversation around sexual violence and shines a vital spotlight on the individuals and communities that live in its long shadow. Whittall’s undisputed talent as a writer shines, as does her understanding into the complexity of our sympathies, our morality, and our humanity. With The Best Kind of People, Whittall has created an urgent and timely document, one that asks us to reflect on how we can best serve survivors of abuse and best support all of those who exist in its aftermath. With incredible empathy, and undeniable skill, this book is sure to spark much needed dialogue, vital debate, and richly deserved acclaim. -- Stacey May Fowles, author of Infidelity

Zoe Whittall's novel gets into the hearts and minds of an ordinary family forced to confront the monstrous. There are no heroes and no villains in this world — there are only people grappling with guilt and truth. This novel is a timely discussion of what we owe those who abuse and those who are targeted in our communities. It's a compelling exploration of the ways a crime implicates all of us. -- Kaitlyn Greenidge, author of We Love You, Charlie Freeman

About the Author

ZOE WHITTALL’S third novel, The Best Kind of People, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, was named Indigo’s #1 Book of 2016, and is being adapted for film by director Sarah Polley. Whittall won a 2018 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program with the team from The Baroness von Sketch Show. She has also written for Schitt's Creek, among other shows. Her second novel, Holding Still for as Long as Possible, won a Lambda Literary Award, and her first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, is now being adapted into a limited series for television. Her short fiction and arts criticism have appeared in Granta, The Walrus, the Believer, Cosmonauts, Hazlitt, and others, and she has published three volumes of poetry.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ House of Anansi Pr; First Edition (August 27, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 424 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1770899421
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1770899421
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.9 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,572,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #189,895 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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3.9 1,951 ratings

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Zoe Whittall's latest novel, The Spectacular, is forthcoming in September of 2021. She is the author of three previous works of literary fiction, including the Giller-shortlisted The Best Kind of People, Lamda-winning Holding Still for as Long as Possible, and debut Bottle Rocket Hearts. She has published three collections of poetry, The Best Ten Minutes of Your Life, Precordial Thump, and The Emily Valentine Poems. Her writing has appeared in Granta, Cosmonauts Ave, The Believer, The Cut, The Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail and more. She is also a Canadian Screen Award-winning TV and film writer, with credits on The Baroness Von Sketch Show, Schitt’s Creek, Degrassi and others.

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3.9 out of 5

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Kymberley

WOW!

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2016

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Well should have the read the review below first! I read this in one sitting - on my flight home, in the cab and then finished right before bed. This is NOT the book to finish at midnight! There was so much to talk about, think about and ponder. I spent the whole night re-living the book.

The Best Kind of People is one those books that you need to put life on hold to finish. I was drawn in from the first page. The book is about rape-culture (a prominent topic today) and the book analyzes it very well from many points of view.

The novel focuses on George Woodbury, a small town wealthy father of two. He has been somewhat of a local hero and is beloved by his students and really by the whole town. George gets charged with sexual misconduct and attempted rape during a school ski trip. This event throws his family and town into chaos.

The Best Kind of People is told from different perspectives - George's 17 year old daughter, his son and his wife. It was crazy to feel their anguish over the charges and coming to terms with the changes they were facing - going to from being loved to hated and being in the spot light of the media.

I recommend this book - especially today. The author really lets you come to your own decisions about how rape-culture works and how our justice system handles these cases. I really liked that she chose to tell the story from the family of the accused. I honestly could not put this book down. My only wish would have been to able to discuss it! If you have a book club - this book would yield a lot of discussion!

Good Luck Zoe Whittall on the Giller's!

8 people found this helpful

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davidson

Terrific book

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2020

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Excellent exploration of what happens to a family whose head turns out to be a gregarious, charming, fun, secret sexual predator. The repercussions of each family member is accurate and well-documented it appears. The changing story of what happened and what didn't happen keeps the reader engaged. Looking forward to seeing the film!

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Laura Gosset

But the biggest disappointment was the ending

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2017

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This book started out as a page turner, but became less believable as I turned the pages. Would a mother and daughter immediately believe the accusers and not their adored and trusted husband/father? I don't think so! At least in the beginning, one would think they would defend - at least until there is evidence to the contrary. I wanted to know more about the father's alleged crime(s) on the ski trip and I got sick of the daughter and her antics. But the biggest disappointment was the ending. Not a favourite read for me...

7 people found this helpful

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Jessica Sullivan

Extremely topical right now

Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2017

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This book feels extremely topical right now, to say the least. George Woodbury, a beloved high school teacher in an upper-class New England town, is accused of sexual misconduct by several of his teenage students, disrupting his entire family's comfortable life.

How would you react if your loved one was accused of a sex crime? This is an uncomfortable thought that people are realistically having to face with the incredibly important #MeToo movement underway. And it's the main focus of The Best Kind of People.

George's highly competent ER nurse wife, his smart 17-year-old daughter, and his distant adult son are all forced to grapple with the reality that the beloved patriarch of their happy family may not be who they thought he was. It's an uncomfortable read, as you would expect from a book that explores the nuances of this subject matter.

Many people who commit unforgivable crimes aren't sociopathic monsters. They're people with friends and loved ones, they're our neighbors and our acquaintances. And "good" and "bad" are rarely binary terms. It's possible for "nice family men" to do bad things—and it happens all the time. How do we reconcile that, especially if it's someone we know and love...a father or a husband?

This is a gripping read all the way through, populated with well-developed and deeply human characters. I'm drawn to books that make me uncomfortable, and I appreciated this intricate take on how one person's actions can impact everyone around them profoundly and irrevocably.

17 people found this helpful

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Kat K

Could Not Put This Book Down!

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019

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This is one of the best books I’ve read in weeks. The characters are fascinating and have dimension. The author builds suspense about the crime, but even more so about the affects on family members and others. I highly recommend this book.

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Asher Taylor-Dawson

A Nuanced Read Hampered By Shortfalls In Execution

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2018

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A nuanced look at a significant social issue that suffers, unfortunately, from poor editing and insufficient research. Sadie and Joan are allowed quite a lot of emotional range, which is very much in keeping with the reality of human experience, and a strong point in Whittal's favor. Even the end of the book reflects the complexity of real life: there are no easy answers here, which suggests that Whittal has a more thorough understanding of the topic at hand than many who have attempted to address it.

Quite a bit could've been left on the cutting room floor, so to speak, but still a good effort and worth a read.

4 people found this helpful

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piob78

no knowledge of criminal procedure or reasons for keeping the ...

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2017

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no knowledge of criminal procedure or reasons for keeping the dad in custody for many months...a trick to get him out of the way to allow her to write the stories of the family and friends...and then a peremptory decision by the judge to dismiss the charges...this always falls to the prosecutor to decide and to ask permission of the judge to permit a discontinuance...not well researched...important topic to be sure (the disastrous effects of false accusations of sexual abuse) but not a very insightful or thoughtful exploration of the issue

8 people found this helpful

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monica g. munn

Did he molest the girl?

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2018

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This is not fantastic piece of literature but a good read. Just goes to show you never know a person. A mans life could be ruined by a rumour and can be saved by a good past . This story is about a professor accused of molesting a student on a trip and how it affects his family. Might be a good beach or book club read. Have to wait till the last chapters to find out the outcome. This story kept me going because of the subject matter. A good sequel would be from the victim's point of view.

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Aaron Taylor

Be ready to contemplate both sides of a story.

Reviewed in Canada on May 23, 2017

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This wasn't exactly what i was expecting with i bought the book in regards to story. It is very timely in its content and coverage of the issues [no spoilers here]. My only concern would be the ending which seemed to give a simple wrap on the plot - i finished thinking that there would be more but it just wrapped it up with a short epilogue style ending. That did make you think back to the story's plot and the main themes and issues covered but for a novel with the detail throughout, it seemed like the ending was tagged on to ensure the publisher felt comfortable that readers would have closure on the story.
Difficult & awkward to read from a content point of view - well written from a prose pov.

Robyn F Birch

A must-read for our times...

Reviewed in Australia on February 15, 2018

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Wonderful! So timely. Didn't want it to end. Yet again it's men who leave trails of wreckage in their path and women must try to heal ruined lives.

A. Douglas

How the action of one man has far reaching consequences

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2020

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

I enjoyed this book even though the subject matter isn't light hearted. George is a white middle aged well respected teacher in his community. His family has, over decades built and supported the town he lives in. He saved the school where he works from a gun man. Can this respected man really being guilty of sexual misconduct with minors?

The book focuses on the wide reaching impact of this alleged crime. You see how his family crumbles overnight. They have to try and carry on whilst being blamed and scrutinised. They all suffer in their own way in the months leading up to the trial.

The author does stress George's privilege quite a lot and it makes you think about how different people would be treated in similar circumstances.

I found this nicely paced and it didn't dwell in any place for too long.

Ade

Multidimensional, complex, and timely. A must read

Reviewed in Canada on April 16, 2017

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I read a few novels monthly and this was for sure the best I read this year, and top 10 overall. It's an extremely well written, insightful, multidimensional, compassionate story of the consequences of sexual abuse on different members of the community. Very timely, and offers a perspective that often gets if ignored - that of the family of the offender. A very realistic account tackling very complex issues such as how is it possible for a community pillar to be a sexual predator, why didn't anyone notice, why does his family stick by him, why are victims silenced, how are victims silenced. It also engages with discrimination issues based on gender and sexual orientation in a small community, as well as coming of age in a troubled family. Very complex and a page turner. If i had to pick one book from the last couple years to recommend, it is no doubt, this one.

2 people found this helpful

ShayneyH

Push pass the beginning! I enjoyed how the author explored the family affected

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2019

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

Excitement seems like the wrong word to use when describing how I felt about wanting to read this book, especially with the topic within the pages. But I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t excited to read this book, building up some anticipation. However this excitement was short lived as when I actually started reading this book I instantly felt disappointed. The writing let me down and I didn’t want to carry on with this book as it just didn’t appeal to me and it wasn’t the best. I am glad that I did as this did improve as the story and some, and I do say some, of the characters developed within these pages. You go through these pages not knowing what to believe or who to believe, feeling sorry for the family affected. You get to see how it affects them, do they stick by him when they’re confronted with so much? How they battle with themselves. It was really interesting.

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