Addled

February 19, 2007
Hart's debut sardonically exposes the inner lives of the members of New England's prestigious Eden Rock Country Club. Bond trader Charles Lambert's botched tee-off accidentally kills a goose that's part of a huge flock that has invaded the club's grounds, spurring him to eccentrically "examine the balance sheet of his soul." The other members think he's lost his mind, forcing his wife, Madeline, still out of her depth with Eden Rock's old money, to deal with the gossip and cross looks, while their animal rights activist daughter protests the club, insisting it go vegan. Meanwhile, the club's chef, Vita, is secretly fattening up a portion of the flock with the illicit intention of creating an unforgettable meal for club members. The damage-controlling club manager, Gerard Wilton, the dieting Dr. Frank Nicastro and the secret-mongering dowager Arietta Wingate round out the cast. While some of the lesser characters tiptoe dangerously close to stereotypes of the rich and privileged, Hart does an admirable job of developing memorable flawed characters and letting them loose in an absurd situation. The misunderstandings, unusual pairings and comic antics call to mind the twists and turns of an old-fashioned drawing room comedy.

March 15, 2007
Who would think the accidental killing of a goose by Charles Lambert's golf shot could bring down a fine institution like New England's Eden Rock Country Club? Membership in the club is restricted to the area's upper crust, and longtime club member Arietta Wingate, recognizing the inbred nature of the membership, keeps a secret log of extramarital affairs to insure that no siblings accidentally marry. It is Charles's wife, Madeline, who is chosen to carry this secret tradition forward, but Charles's goose slaughtering drives him into a strange state of apathy about work, the club, and even golf, leading to gossip about their marriage and not-so-subtle exclusion of Madeline from club events. The ramifications of the goose killing move beyond the Lamberts when, for instance, club director Gerard Wilton orders groundskeeper Barry to get rid of the entire flock and instead Barry adopts a baby goose. As if this weren't bad enough, Gerard's gourmet chef, Vita, samples a goose recipe and decides to secretly fatten up the geese for the end-of-summer banquet. Hart, a regular contributor to theBoston Globe, offers an entertainingly farcical look at the social mores of an isolated upper class that uses its privilege to escape from the real world. Recommended.Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. Syst., Poughkeepsie, NY

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2007
Out of an overly familiar setting and well-worn themes, first-novelist Hart fashions an inspired social comedy. Madeline Lambert is facing a challenging summer. Ever since her husband killed a goose with an errant golf shot at the Eden Rock Country Club, he has virtually abandoned the family. Sequestered in his garage while indulging in his new hobby, metal sculpting, Charles has morphed from a staid businessman into an unshaven, absent-minded philosopher. There's also Madeline's daughter, Phoebe, who is on a campaign to force the club to go vegan by staging an embarrassing series of demonstrations. Elsewhere at the club, the talented chef is eyeing the ubiquitous geese with culinary intentions, and the buttoned-down general manager finds his routine and his equilibrium upset by Phoebe's passionate protests. With a delightfully wacky sense of humor and a subtle use of metaphor, Hart delivers a story of transformation. The lure of romance, rejuvenation at midlife, and the joys of creativity are all given their due in a first novel that is both very funny and very moving.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)