Ordinary Love and Good Will

by: Jane Smiley

Published by: Anchor Books

Reviewed by Alex McGilvery

Ordinary Love and Good Will is a reprint of two novellas by Jane Smiley. The book is done in a very comfortable cover and paper. I don’t normally mention the cover of a book, but the first thing I noticed was the tactile enjoyment of holding this book. The inside of the book lives up to its binding.

Jane Smiley has crafted two delightful novellas about family. The first takes place over the first few days of Michael’s arrival home from India (one of the narrator’s twin sons). It is a gentle exploration of family and the consequences of choices, both good and bad.

The second story is about the effect on his son of a man’s choice to live an alternative lifestyle. Somehow as his son goes to school in town, things start to spin out of control. Issues of racism arise, and the authorities have a different view of the narrator’s life style than he does. The threads of a life that were under complete control come unraveled.

Jane Smiley writes in an easy, quiet-paced style that allows an event to sneak up and surprise you. The characters drive the action of the story, and they are well rounded and interesting. They learn things in the course of the stories that challenge your assumptions about who this person is, and thus challenges some assumptions that you may have about yourself.

I enjoyed Jane Smiley’s style of storytelling. I liked that she shows that even the best intentions have consequences that are beyond our control. I liked too that she shows her characters surviving those consequences, and looking on toward the next steps of their lives.

Armchair Interviews says: Two well-done novellas for your enjoyment.