Even this is going to pass: MY KIND OF PEOPLE.

My Kind of People by Lisa Duffy

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Ichabod Island is an insular island off the coast of Massachusetts, where the residents, while they may keep to themselves, know and care a great deal about one another and their neighbors' lives. It's a terrible tragedy when they lose two beloved residents, Brian and Ann, who leave behind their ten-year-old daughter. Former Ichabod resident Leo returns to the island to care for Sky, per the will that named him her guardian. Leo is grieving the death of his best friends and Sky that of her parents. Leo quickly finds himself struggling to balance raising Sky along with performing his mainland job and maintaining his marriage to his husband, Oliver, who is wary about their newfound parenthood and life away from Boston. Leo must rely on Brian and Ann's neighbors: Maggie, Sky's teacher, who helps watch her for Leo, even as she finds her own marriage to the local police chief dissolving and Joe, a builder who knows more about Sky's parents' relationship than most.


"She thinks about it all the time. Wonders if her parents are gone because they never belonged to her in the first place."


This novel cemented Duffy as one of my absolute favorite writers. This is a lovely and touching read, bringing to life the group of islanders who come together to care for Sky. Duffy builds her worlds so perfectly: I was lost on Ichabod Island with these characters--all of whom are so uniquely them. This book will go straight to your heart.

I fell immediately for sweet Sky. We learn that Brian and Ann are Sky's adoptive parents, so she's basically been orphaned twice. She is troubled as her parents were fighting a lot right before they died--going against the town view of them as the "perfect couple." While this novel is mostly a deep dive into its characters, there is a touch of mystery here. Why were Sky's parents fighting, and did it have anything to do with the car crash that caused their death? Also, a mysterious woman arrives in town--what is her role to play in the story? Duffy weaves together all of these plot points so well; I was captivated by the book and even though I wanted to slow down and savor it, I also wanted to know what had happened, to find out what would happen to Sky and Leo.


"A fearless girl who doesn't just think she's safe alone in the dark on an island in the Atlantic. She knows it."


I love that Duffy included a gay couple in her novel--and treats them like regular people. Leo is a wonderful character: complex and struggling with new parenthood. In the end, you feel like you know the entire neighborhood block, from sweet Joe; to Maggie, who is coming into her own in her '50s; to longtime resident Agnes, who is set in her ways; to Sky's tough best friend Frankie; and Sky's newly found grandmother, Lillian. All of these characters play a real role in this story: not an easy feat when the focus is on Leo and Sky.

Overall, this is a wonderfully written novel that covers family, marriage, tragedy, love, and so much more. Duffy's characters are beautiful, and she has an amazing way of bringing you right into the world she has created. I will always read anything she writes. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Atria Books for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

You can support independent bookstores and buy a copy of My Kind of People here.

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