For over eighty years, Joy Bridport has played by the rules: she’s been a devoted wife and mother, contributing to the community in her small Hudson Valley town. But her quiet existence is jolted when she learns that her best friend, Hazel, only has months left to live. Hazel has always been the more adventurous one of their duo, and she seems at peace with all that she’s squeezed out of her long life. Yet Joy realizes she can’t say the same.
Determined to live boldly and make the most of the time that she and Hazel have left together, Joy steps outside of her comfort zone—and into a bit of trouble. But as her foray into rule-breaking escalates into committing petty crime, Joy must consider what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind, and whether there’s a way for her to embrace the liberation that “Bad Joy” offers without losing all that she holds dear.
I read The Collected Regrets of Clover (psst, currently available on Kindle Unlimited!) 3 years ago and STILL find myself thinking about Clover and her career as a death doula. So when I saw Brammer had another book coming out, I had to read it! Good Joy, Bad Joy is similar to The Collected Regrets of Clover, and is basically the other side of the coin. While Clover is in her twenties and helps people prepare for their final days, Joy is in her eighties, has faced the death of her loved ones over and over again, and is currently working through how to live out the rest of her life.
What I enjoyed most about Joy and her surroundings was how incredibly realistic it was. Joy is a quintessential member of the Silent Generation, focused more on how she can help others than her own wants and needs. Joy’s daughter is a single mother to a 13-year-old boy, and the three form a tight, if sometimes tense, family unit.
Joy lives in a small town, and spends her days avoiding the drama and gossip that comes with a close-knit community. But as she realizes how little of her life is left, Joy starts behaving badly (in tiny measures). And the dopamine rush she gets convinces her to continue into her new lifestyle of petty crimes. Joy’s internal glee clashes with her ingrained manners, sending her into turmoil several times over.
Overall, this is a book that focuses on the life of an octogenarian, facing her final years and setting a new legacy for herself. It was definitely a character study of Joy herself, and while I would’ve enjoyed a little more punch to the plot, I appreciated the almost meditative nature of the book, especially read as an audiobook. If you liked The Collected Regrets of Clover, you’re guaranteed to like Good Joy, Bad Joy!
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
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