On the HahaFiction shelf
Save What's Left
by Elizabeth Castellano
When her marriage breaks down, Kathleen Deane leaves Kansas for a cottage in the seaside town of Whitbey. The mansion under construction next door soon demands more attention than the view. Kathleen starts writing complaints to town officials who show little interest in answering.
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What makes it funny?
The opening takes the expected pleasures of a beach house and substitutes meetings, parking arguments and code-enforcement complaints. Kathleen’s practical decorating advice amounts to putting a lawyer on retainer.
The comedy at work
Kathleen has an exact accounting of what is wrong with her new home and neighbors. Her insistent narration and unanswered correspondence expose how much work goes into preserving a town’s supposedly effortless charm.
Try this if…
Homeowners with grievances may recognize the mood. Readers who enjoy a forceful narrator and small-town politics have more to look forward to than a peaceful seaside escape.
Good to know
Kathleen’s marital separation is central to the setup. Publishers Weekly praised her distinctive voice while finding the plot uneven, with major twists arriving late.
A few distinguishing details
- A beach cottage beside a sprawling construction project
- A feud conducted through unanswered complaints
More funny contemporary & literary
Sources & further reading
- Opening excerpt
Reading sample
- Publishers Weekly review
Review
- Publisher
Publisher
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