Local Knowledge [Mass Market Paperback]

Liza Gyllenhaal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

From an exciting debut author?a novel about three people haunted by the mistakes of their past and their plunge into an uncertain future.

Maddie Alden has always longed for more than her small town could offer. Now that it?s being overrun by wealthy New Yorkers looking for a respite from the city, Maddie has gotten herself a lucrative new job in real estate. And her first sale brings her a charismatic new friend who is everything Maddie longs to be. Little does Maddie realize that the glamorous Anne will shake up her quiet marriage? and will force Maddie to face the truth about the past, and the terrible secret she shares with her husband and his best friend?

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A powerful and deeply moving novel about the lies we tell ourselves, the moral corners we cut, and the loved ones we betray to get what we want. Gyllenhaal has x-ray vision into the human heart and a sharp eye for contemporary mores and social maneuvering. She knows women and men and children, and pins them to the page with some of the most dazzling prose I’ve read in a long time.”
—Ellen Felman, author of Lucy --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Liza Gyllenhaal is a graduate of the Iowa Writing Workshop and former chairperson and current board member of The Academy of American Poets. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; First Edition edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451225783
• ISBN-13: 978-0451225788
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #797,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Liza Gyllenhaal was raised in a small, close-knit community in Pennsylvania. First drawn to poetry, she attended the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, then moved to New York City where she worked in advertising and publishing for many years. She is the author of LOCAL KNOWLEDGE and SO NEAR, and is currently working on her third novel for New American Library. She and her husband divide their time between New York City and the Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts. For more information, please visit her website: www.lizagyllenhaal.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These charachters will resonate long after you have finished reading this book., March 6, 2009

By 

Phyllis Azar (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Local Knowledge (Mass Market Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed Local Knowledge. Liza Gyllenhaal is a skilled storyteller who is acutely empathetic to the emotional complexities of family, friendship, and ambition. On the surface, this is an engaging story about the longings, secrets, and lies of small town locals. It's about a part of the American landscape in transition and the effects on the long-standing community. And underneath it's a story that reveals, with sharp precision, the inner conflicts of our convictions, why we allow ourselves to be manipulated, and how our need to succeed can sometimes lead us to cut corners though our friends may suffer the consequences. I highly recommend this book and look forward to Gyllenhaal's next one!

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've read it on the beach in Florida!, January 9, 2009

By 

Beverly Gyllenhaal - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Local Knowledge (Mass Market Paperback)

This is indeed the perfect beach read -- in Florida or anywhere else! OK, so Liza is indeed my relative, but I couldn't put Local Knowledge down, and I'm picky with a short attention span. This would be a great book club pick with all the elements to spark a good discussion about loyalty, dealing with your past and coming to terms with best friends.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars comfortably unsettling, February 5, 2009

By 

Wendy Soneson "wtheb" (boston) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Local Knowledge (Mass Market Paperback)

Maddie Alden compels us to empathize with her choices from the everyday to the more soul searching. We are grateful for the grounding force of her husband Paul, as she works through her feelings and loyalties, trying to discover her values, and striving for honesty with herself and others. Gyllenhaal pulls us deep into Maddies world with succinct and luscious details. She lets us see with Maddie's perceptive eyes, constantly trying to uncover layers of truth about her friends, family, and purpose in life. Scenes are vivid, dialogue rings authentic, and somehow we care about this out-of-the way town that might be nothing like any we ever experienced. Lacking any moralistic or political agenda, Local Knowledge lets us make our own decisions about our rapidly changing landscapes and social cultures. The characters have enough zing to be entertaining, but still feel vaguely like someone we once knew. There is a sadness to the mood of the book but not without an ever present feeling that there is a splendid sunrise about to appear - life may be filled with unexpected turns, but one can find solace in the turn of a child's smile, a ripening vegetable patch, or the memory of a beloved friend. The story of a long and twisted summer relationship that would be a welcome escape on a cold winter weekend.