Local Knowledge by Liza Gyllenhaal is a novel I immediately got drawn into and couldn’t put down. It is about Maddie Alden, a small town girl in New England, now a realtor selling second homes to rich urbanites who come to the country for the weekend.

Gyllenhaal probes the disparity between these two groups of people, as Maddie finds herself walking the line between lifelong bonds and new friendships springing up with the wealthy new crowd she longs to be a part of.

I loved this book all the way until the end. I won’t spoil it, as I still think its a good read. Gyllenhaal’s writing shows her deep observations of how we behave, what motivates us, and how we react to diffucult situations. I only wish it had ended differently.