Review: The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall

The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was concerned that this book was just another book treading ground that has been tread before in literary fiction. But, I felt this one did a really good job exploring something very timely – an accusation and its impact to the family members of the accused as well as the community in which they live. In this particular story, a heroic teacher who everyone ‘loves’ is accused of sexual impropriety by students and the fall out is the primary focus of the novel. How does his family deal with how the community reacts to the accusation? How does the community treat the family? How do his wife and children cope with loving this man and yet wrestling with his potential guilt? Ultimately, this is about rape culture and the impact these situations have to the individuals and communities in which they take place. I like that the story felt complete by the end of the novel and yet it didn’t get all tied up in a pretty bow. There is so much here to think about in terms of how we treat others and how rape culture affects our decisions when these types of situations take place. I really think this is one worth reading, especially if you’re interested in the intersection of rape culture and community life.

NOTE: The publisher provided me with an ARC of this novel for an honest review.