(Robin B. Langsdorf)Coincidence or not, Langsdorf’s success comes after leaving her longtime suburban existence. The novel follows the residents of the fictional enclave of Willard Park — inspired, in part, by Langsdorf’s hometown of Kensington, Md. Allison Miller, who has lived (mostly) happily in Willard Park for more than a decade, wonders what to do with her photography — more than a hobby, less than a career. Willard Park sees uprooted trees, mysterious fires, angry altercations, and it’s all smart, satiric fun, the kind of comic novel that helps us see our own foibles while we’re laughing at those of others. The residents of Willard Park come to realize that houses matter less than their inhabitants — and that the suburbs aren’t for everyone.

Source: Washington Post March 24, 2019 17:27 UTC