56. The Good Neighbor

This was another really good find at the bargain bookstore. A mix of history and the present and the story told from both the husband and wife's very varied perspectives. I really liked this one a lot and definitely recommend it.

Here's a review from B&N.com:

In his fourth novel (after The Adventures of Flash Jackson), Kowalski tells the story of Francie and Coltrane Hart, who buy a large, 150-year-old house in rural Pennsylvania, initially as a retreat from their life in Manhattan. The new environment appeals greatly to Francie, an intelligent woman longing to revive a talent for poetry that's been dormant since she began taking psychotropic medication. For Colt, a successful stock trader whose main pleasure in life is work, the house is a way to impress his co-workers. The history of their new abode's original tenants is revealed in physical remnants and via nearby neighbor Randy Flebberman, who has looked after the place for the 25 years that it has been uninhabited. While Francie and Flebberman work to befriend each another, Colt remains difficult and insensitive. Ultimately, a clash of values occurs, with dramatic and enlightening results. Kowalski, a gifted storyteller, pulls the reader in, making this book hard to put down. His use of historical digressions also creates a compelling story-within-a-story. While the dialog at times seems mundane and clich d, the characters do rise above stereotypes, and Kowalski succeeds in creating a novel that flows effortlessly.