The Good House by Tananarive Due Published by Simon and Schuster on September 2, 2003
Genres: Ghost, Ghost Stories, Horror
Pages: 482
Format: Audiobook
Source: personal copy
Angela Toussaint hasn't returned to her Grandmother Maria's house since the tragic July 4th party that shattered her world. The Good House sits empty but for those that maintain the upkeep. With the possibility of it being sold, Angela must return and put closure on the events of the past. Unbeknownst to her, the secrets of the Good House go back farther than she could have imagined. Something within wishes destruction on her family line and to inflict death and destruction in the small town. As the only remaining Toussaint, it is up to Angela to put an end this curse forever.
This is actually my second experience with this title. I devoured it years ago in my quest to read more from minority horror authors. Yet one day on Twitter, I was struggling to find my next audio book. I crave a good haunted house tale! So when Tananarive herself responded to my tweet, reminding me that The Good House is an excellent audio, I accepted the challenge knowing full well I was going to love it. Reading a haunted house tale is one thing, but having it read aloud to you is a completely different level of chilling! I am intentionally vague in my descriptions of the storyline, for it is one that the reader must experience, and uncover, on their own!
The story Due has crafted in this haunted house tale has all the elements of a haunted house tale that I adore, but she’s also intertwined the themes of racial identity and family ties that really add to the overall package. The Toussaints are an African American family living smack dab in the middle of a white community, so the racial tension has existed in various degrees for generations. She seamlessly weaves past and present timelines, sustaining the book’s momentum throughout. Never was there a time that the pacing slowed, for every aspect of this read compelled me to listen more. I found myself driving the longer way home, or sitting in my truck parked in front of my house, unable to tear myself away.
As I mentioned, I listened to the audio of this title. The narrator, Robin Miles, is a favorite of mine. Her narration of The Good House was the first horror novel she’d ever narrated. Her experience put her on the path to narrate horror, science fiction, and fantasy. She’s an award winning narrator, her voice and cadence putting the perfect edge on his listening experience!
I continue to follow Due’s work since reading this over a decade ago. One of her most recent roles is executive producer of Shudder’s groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror! If you haven’t sampled her work yet (either via the documentary or her works of fiction) I highly encourage you to do so!
