Community Board

A Novel

By: Tara Conklin

Narrated by: Kristen Sieh

The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics delivers a wise, timely, big-hearted novel of unplanned isolation and newly forged community.

Where does one go, you might ask, when the world falls apart? When the immutable facts of your life—the mundane, the trivial, the take-for-granted minutiae that once filled every second of every day—suddenly disappear? Where does one go in such dire and unexpected circumstances?

I went home, of course.

MURBRIDGE COMMUNITY MESSAGE BOARD

FREE: 500 cans of corn. Accidentally ordered them online. I really hate corn. Happy to help load.

REMINDER: use your own goddamn garbage can for your own goddamn pet waste. I’m looking at you Peter Luflin.

REMINDER: monthly Select Board meeting this Friday. Agenda items: 1) sludge removal; 2) upkeep of chime tower; 3) ice rink monitor thank you gift. Questions? Contact Hildegard Hyman, [e-mail]

Darcy Clipper, prodigal daughter, nearly thirty, has returned home to Murbridge, Massachusetts, after her life takes an unwelcome left turn. Murbridge, Darcy is convinced, will welcome her home and provide a safe space in which she can nurse her wounds and harbor grudges, both real and imagined.

But Murbridge, like so much else Darcy thought to be fixed and immutable, has changed. And while Darcy’s first instinct might be to hole herself up in her childhood bedroom, subsisting on Chef Boy-R-Dee and canned chickpeas, it is human nature to do two things: seek out meaningful human connection and respond to anonymous internet postings. As Murbridge begins to take shape around Darcy, both online and in person, Darcy will consider the most fundamental of American questions: What can she ask of her community? And what does she owe it in return?

Silly but a good ending

I almost gave up early on because it was just so silly and ridiculous but it ended up having a good message and sweet ending

A warm hug we all need right now

Highlight suggest this read. Times are tough, divided, scary and insular in this post COVID era. This book was so relatable and hilarious my family kept asking what was so funny when I would lol hearing the board posts. I felt so much warmth and inspiration finishing this book, it was sad for it to end and say good bye to Darcy, Marcus and Fanny. Im now looking for other titles from this author 😊

Live, life, love

I enjoyed this book. There’s plenty to make you smile. I love writers that take the monotony of life and show how comical it is.

Lovely

Spoilers, kind of. Lovely story about how important people are to each other. I enjoyed this novel and the performance very much. I liked how the author used the community board to introduce new topics in the narrative to create an interesting and sweet story.

Not a fan

I was hopeful when I got this book but disappointed it took more than 1/2 way into the story to enjoy it.