A problem with most works of literary fiction is that they tend to revolve around sad­ness more than joy. Authors seem to think that narratives that are tinged with despair rather than hope are what will get them critical acclaim and so they stick to that route. It’s a rare author who is able to perfectly juggle despair and hope and make the story relatable for everyone. Clare Fisher’s debut novel All the Good Things manages to strike that balance. The result is a tale as hope­ful as it is harrowing. Bethany Mitchell, 21, is in prison because she has done a ‘bad’ thing (we don’t find out what it is till the very end of the book). Her coun­selor, Erika, asks her to make a list of all the good things in her life. Beth thinks that is a retarded idea because she won’t be able to think of anything but upon Erika’s insistence she begins to comb through her memories. As you read the story, which is mostly narrated in sec­ond person and addressed to Beth’s child, you get the sense Beth causes sufferings wherever she goes and is thus fundamentally bad. But what is bad? And what circumstances cause a person to be so? The novel explores these questions. 

 

Beth’s birth mother’s repeated fail­ure to show up for scheduled meet­ings when she is in foster care makes for some heartbreaking memories early in the story. You see how she has been failed by the very people who were supposed to care for her. You understand that the absence of her mother and the love she never got have been responsible for her guilt and lack of self worth. You come to understand and love her, and even find similarities between her thoughts and your own.

 

As the narrative jumps from Beth’s past to her present, the language draws you into the story. Beth’s stark observations and insights make it easy for you to imagine yourself in her shoes. So much so that by the time you know what Beth has done to land in prison you know so much about her that you are willing to forgive her for her crime, no matter how heinous it may be.

 

A good book will have that effect on you. It will evoke consideration and empathy. This book tugs at your heartstrings because Fisher has crafted a flawed character that makes you realize that as humans we are capable of making mistakes but it is forgiveness, for yourself and those who have wronged you, that decides the course of your life.