On the “Today Show” this morning, there was a segment entitled “Is Civility Dead”? I was immediately reminded of the excellent apropos novel that I started over the weekend and from which I am only about 20 pages from the conclusion: The False Friend by Myla Goldberg. Richard Russoo, author of That Old Cape Magic has commented on Goldberg’s newest novel by saying, The False Friend is a riveting read, both compelling and richly satisfying.” I agree. Author Aimee Bender’s comments on Goldberg’s Bee Season, a previous novel, were also very complimentary. So, I am not alone in liking Goldberg’s power in storytelling.
So, how does The False Friend fit in with “civility”? Simply because this captivating novel explores the horrible human characteristic, now more present than ever, of bullying. As we all know, bullying begins often in childhood and progresses in adolescence, as is seen currently in the sad, sad case of the Rutgers students who chastised their classmate on a website, thereby resulting in his demise.
In The False Friend the female protagonist goes back in time, emotionally and physically, when she returns to her small midwestern home town to “tell the truth” about the bullying of which she was apart in the 1960s when she was only 11 years old. The reader learns that she was part of a small group of girls who held power over other young girls and made them wear their hair, their clothes, and shape their lives into a form which was incredibly measured by series of checks and balances each morning on the school bus. Ironically, the ring leader disappears in a forest, and the protagonist sees her simply “fall”, but tells the others that a car took her away. Therefore, a mystery is in the making, fueled more and more each year by the townspeople. The bullying was relentless and in present day haunts the protagonist so much that it begins to affect her relationship with her boyfriend and her parents, all of whom are major characters in this short novel.
When Celia returns to investigate her friend’s disappearance so many years before, no one wants to believe her version of “the truth” about what really happened that day in the woods. She even tracks down the other girls in the group and interviews them about what they think happened that fateful day. Yes, this is a type of mystery, but it is much more. This spellbinding, culturally applicable novel has me itching for the time tonight after my busy, busy day when I can read the final 20 pages to see some resolution. -Nan
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