Book: Such Good People
Author: Amy Blumenfeld
Review Written By: Stacey Ebert
I loved Such Good People, a summer smash hit by Amy Blumenfeld. Capturing those special relationships, trusted friendships, all things adulting, and how an individual’s character and their choices weave their way through our lives – readers have been loving this one. Ride the wave of descriptive detail through this adventure of life and love, the strength of childhood best friends, and the sights, sounds and scents of Brooklyn’s neighborhoods. As the author meanders life’s journey from teenage to adulthood, beginnings to endings, and past to present – the trials and tribulations of our lives show up, strong friendships reveal themselves, and character and choices take center stage. In a blink of an eye, one choice can shift your whole story – imagine if it were you.
My friend Amy wrote this book. Decades ago, our lives collided in a youth group and we spent years basically inseparable. Between drives from our Queens and Long Island homes, sleepovers on living room floors, and endless laughter over pre-cut bagels, she shared her life mantra, ‘she who laughs lasts’. At a young age, Amy dealt with a cancer diagnosis, and her response was to show up with wit, wisdom, resilience, gratitude, and an incredible dose of humor. In this, her second book, she reinforces the hard won truth that effort, love, heart, and the steadfast bond of lifelong friendships really do stand the test of time. Run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore and grab your own copy of Such Good People or send a gift to those special friends of yours who always show up, no matter what.
When did your writing journey begin?: I’ve always loved to write. I am probably the only person who actually enjoyed writing thank you notes as a kid. In fact, my aunt has an album of thank you notes and letters I sent to her throughout my childhood. I remember my hand cramping and blue ink staining the side of my pinky finger after writing several paragraphs. The note usually started out about how I planned to use their gift and then I would veer off on a tangent and tell a story as if I were speaking to the recipient in person. Looking back, that’s probably how my writing journey began.
When I was in high school, I won a few essay contests. That boosted my confidence, but I still never dreamed of becoming an author. In college, I wrote opinion pieces every now and then for the school newspaper. I loved when students would write letters to the editor in response to my articles. It was really satisfying to know that I had made people think and feel something. But still, I never dreamed of writing books. I wanted to be a journalist. It wasn’t until graduation from journalism school that the thought of writing a book ever crossed my mind. I had written a long-form piece – basically a magazine length article – as my master’s project and a professor suggested that I expand the project and turn it into a book. That was the first time I ever considered the idea of writing a book.
Please tell us what inspired you to write this book: I was raised in a home where a painting of the scales of justice and the words “Justice, Justice, Shall You Pursue” were prominently framed on our living room wall. My father began his career as a public defender and when I was young his colleagues would come over to our house and I’d listen as they prepared their cases around our dining room table. Later, when he became a judge, I’d sit beside my dad on the bench and observe arraignments from his vantage point. I learned to appreciate nuance, the complexity of situations, and understand that behind every docket number was a real human being. Most of the time, that human being had relatives and friends sitting on hard pews in the audience section awaiting their loved one’s case. It didn’t matter if they were on the side of the defense or prosecution. Their angst-riddled faces were directly in my line of sight and I couldn’t help but wonder about their lives. Their backstories. How being on the periphery of a criminal case impacted them. The whole time I was writing I had my dad’s courtroom on my mind – specifically the people in my line of sight in the pews during arraignments. I envisioned April and Rudy’s families and how a single choice by a good person thinking he was doing a good thing could spiral out of control and change all of them forever.
What made you decide to explore the strong bonds of friendships and how one choice in youth can return to challenge the present?: I was fortunate to grow up in a tightly knit community, so I know what it feels like to have neighbors who feel like family. I have remained in close touch with the people from my neighborhood, but also with friends I met throughout high school, college, and graduate school. There is something very special and unique about long-term bonds – about those who have shared life with you. That connection – that steadfast devotion and dedication – is something I wanted to explore in my work.
Both Such Good People and my debut novel, The Cast, are about the things we do for the people we love and how the people we love impact the things we do.
How has the process of writing a second novel differed from your first?: Writing a second novel felt less daunting than the first just because I had experience, but it was still a lot of work despite having a better sense of what to expect. Because I had some background, I needed a little less step-by-step handholding when it came to the macro stuff – the big picture process and marketing. However, I still hit roadblocks with the micro stuff – the nitty gritty plot/character/structure. I don’t think those sorts of story challenges necessarily disappear with more experience. You’ll always need some trusted first readers and a good editor along the way to give you honest feedback and talk through hurdles.
Being a writer can be challenging. Did you ever feel like giving up?: My first novel, The Cast, took forever. I didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an author. I dreamed of becoming a television news anchorwoman on a local New York network station. I went to graduate school for journalism. When I wrote my masters project (basically a feature length magazine story) about adult survivors of childhood cancer, my professor insisted that I turn the project into a book. He planted a seed. At the time, I was 23 and couldn’t afford to take time to write a book. I needed a job, stability, and health insurance. For many years as I worked as a writer or editor in the magazine world, I chipped away at “the book” – never knowing if it would become anything. I envisioned non-fiction, then I thought about writing a memoir about my own experience as a childhood cancer survivor. I stopped and started, grew frustrated, and set it aside. I asked myself, “What would I want to read?” and the answer was clear – contemporary fiction. That was when it all clicked into place. I had zero experience in fiction, but I always enjoyed creative writing so I figured I would give it a shot.
There were so many times over the course of 20 years that I could have given up but I genuinely felt something inside telling me to keep going. It was like I had to give birth to this thing even though I had no idea what form it was going to take. I’m glad I stuck with it.
For aspiring writers, what tips would you give on the publishing journey?: I would advise aspiring writers to stay authentic, have a thick skin, be patient, and remember this is not math. It’s art. It’s subjective. Some people will love your work, others won’t, but as long as you stay true to your voice and your mission and believe in the value of your story, don’t allow yourself to give up.
What’s up next for you?
I’m starting to work on my third book.
Where can readers find your work?
Instagram: amyblumenfeldauthor
Facebook: amyblumenfeldauthor
Books are available for sale online or at your local bookstore (please rate and review on Goodreads and Amazon)!
Such Good People has been named…
A People magazine’s Most Anticipated Summer Reads 2025
A Forbes magazine’s Best Books For Summer
A She Knows’ New Book We Can’t Wait to Read in Summer 2025
A Zibby’s Most Anticipated Read of 2025
A Brit + Co. Most Anticipated Summer Book of 2025
A She Reads’ Most Anticipated Contemporary Books of Summer 2025
BIO
Amy Blumenfeld is an award-winning author and journalist. She is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University and received a master’s degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism. Her articles and articles have appeared on the cover of People, in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, as well in George where she worked as a staff editor and writer. Amy’s debut novel, The Cast, was selected as a New York Post Best Book of the Week. She has contributed to three non-fiction books, including a USA TODAY bestselling anthology. Her second novel, Such Good People, was released in July 2025 and named a Most Anticipated Book by People and a Best Book for Summer by Forbes. Amy lives in New York with her husband and daughter.
