From Product Description:

This book is an excellent character study on human kind and human spirit. Clara Purdy is the central character of the story. At 43, she is living in her deceased parents home where she stayed while she was caring for them and continued to stay after they were gone. Then there is Lorraine and Clayton and their 3 children, Darlene, Trevor and baby Pearce whom are homeless and live in their car. Lorraine works as a maid when possible and Clayton picks up jobs here and there. He has a hard time sticking around. There is also Grandma Pell who lives with them in their car as well, an old and cranky woman. Paul Tippet is a "non-catholic" Priest who is struggling in his marriage and has trouble communicating to others. Mix in other relatives and neighbors and you have a group of people with "character". <br /> <br />The book begins with a car accident. Clara is distracted while driving and runs into Lorraine and Claytons car. Fortunately there are no serious injuries but while Lorraine is in the hospital they notice bruises and later diagnose her as having cancer, something that she probably had for awhile. Clara feels a need to let them live with her in her home while Lorraine is in the hospital. She struggles with this and is detached but finds herself later becoming attached instead. Paul, her Priest, helps with her decision but is not as sure that she should do this, yet he does go to Lorraine and pray with her for healing. <br /> <br />Meanwhile Lorraines brother comes to be by her side and other friends and neighbors as well become involved in the lives of these people. There is joy and love as well as sorrow and loss throughout with an end result that satisfies this reader. <br /> <br />I am glad I chose to give this book a chance. Very good indeed.

I didn't want to put this book down. Of course, I was interested in finding out how the story played out, but it was more that I fell in love with the characters and wanted to spend more time with them. Each personality seemed very distinct and "real". I felt that the book was well plotted and well paced, and the ending (pleasantly) surprised me. <br /> <br />The storyline reminded me in some ways of Anne Tyeler's "Saint Maybe" and of Cynthia Voight's "Homecoming". Those are two of my old favorites, so "Good to a Fault" had to be pretty darn good to measure up in my eyes. Endicott had her own satisfying take on the orphaned/abandoned children plot. I hope that she will write many more books. I'd love to see a sequel, although this book stands well on it's own.

After reading a number of disappointing (yet recommended novels) over the summer, what a delightful surprise to get so engrossed in the lives of these characters. What seems to be a very contrived opening scene that sets the plot in motion--the accident that brings a homeless family into the lives of another driver who wonders whether she is a good person--unfurls into a winding road of revelations, explorations, and all kinds of generosity. <br /> <br />Daughter Dolly, the oldest of the three given a stable home for the first time and still in grade school is portrayed with such an interesting set of habits, interests, and insights, that I'd love to read another novel that features the young woman this girl is going to become.

In a very convoluted way, Good to a Fault reminded me of one of the sub-plots in the book, Gone, Baby, Gone by Dennis Lehane. <br /> <br />As Clara Purdy robotically examines her mundane life, she subconsciously wonders what she has accomplished. Unfortunately, her meandering thoughts while driving create a bit of a predicament as she accidentally collides with another vehicle containing a down-and-out family whose vehicle was their primary residence. <br /> <br />Who is at fault is debatable, but Clara quickly scrambles to the hospital to ensure that the mother and baby's injuries are minor, and therein lays the quandary. The Gage family quietly perplexed by Clara's visit, views her genuine concern as an unnecessary intrusion while Clayton (the infuriating father), immediately manipulates the wretched situation to his advantage. Lorraine (the ambivalent mother) appears to be in worse health than a mere fender-bender. Meanwhile, others to consider include Mrs. Pell (Clayton's cantankerous mother), Darlene (the shrewd daughter), Trevor (the ingenuous son), and Pierce (the precious baby boy). <br /> <br />A homeless family, a Good Samaritan, and unpredictably thought-provoking outcomes offer a profoundly compelling read. Marina Endicott's stimulating scenarios left me questioning the ulterior motives of goodness and of mercy. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

How do you rate a book that you loved to read, but didn't really care for the author's ending? GOOD TO A FAULT is an excellent story. It's the story of Clara Purdy - a divorced lady living in her mothers' house and working 20 years in the same job. One car accident later, she's a good samaritan taking in a family of parents, three children, and grandmother. What starts as an effort to do the right thing soon changes to a complete transformation of Clara's life and lifestyle. She finds love where she never expected to, and questions her own degree of social responsibility. The book is a wonderful balance between light read and thoughtful tale. Some sub-characters get a bit confusing and don't seem to have a real reason for being in the story, and I have to say, I was disappointed by the quick and obvious ending. That aside, this is an excellent summer read.