Good Things Come and Go by Josie Shapiro

The lives of three friends are intertwined in this novel of love, regret, betrayal and grief.  In Los Angeles, Artist Penny Whittaker can’t paint after her daughter’s death, and she fears she will never paint again. Her partner, Adam Riggs, is also struggling after their daughter’s death, and he is battling addiction to prescription drugs and the loss of his stellar skateboarding career. They have become disconnected from each other. However, when Penny is then offered the chance to exhibit her work at an Auckland gallery, Adam insists that he accompany her. Perhaps this will be the fresh start they need?

Back in New Zealand, their old friend Jamie is out of work and facing a significant health crisis. The three of them reconnect at an old house in the Coromandel by the beach, and at first it feels like old times, but their reunion brings old secrets, hurts and conflicts to the surface. They are forced to examine their complicated history, as well as themselves and their mistakes, deepest desires, and their future. This novel alternates between past and present as their stories unfold.

Good Things Come and Go is the second novel from this award-winning author, and it is beautifully crafted and executed. It’s a novel filled with sorrow and regret, at times poignantly heartbreaking, although possibly there is a sliver of hope at the end.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Allen & Unwin