I loved Such Good People, a new book by Amy Blumenfeld. It’s a book about friendships, relationships, life, and how both our choices and our character are always a part of our stories. 

Such Good People takes the reader on a rich, detailed descriptive adventure through family ties and the strength of childhood best friends, and plunks us in the thick of aromas, sounds, and flavors of some of Brooklyn’s most iconic establishments. 

The author flawlessly traverses the twists and turns our journeys take between past and present, teenage adventures to adulthood responsibilities, and all the trials and tribulations in between. 

Such Good People is an ode to the boroughs of New York City, a fierce reminder that character is what we do when no one is looking, a friendship that knows no bounds, and choices that can change our trajectory in a moment’s notice. 

My friend Amy wrote this book. Long ago, we spent many hours in each other’s homes on Long Island and Queens, and over pre-cut bagels and lots of giggles, she told me one of her favourite life mantras, “she who laughs, lasts.” That wisdom stuck with me. 

At a young age, she had the faith and fortitude to know exactly what was important in life. We met in a high school youth group, have connected over distance and writing joys, and in this, her second book, she reinforces the truth that with resilience, effort, and heart, bonds of friendship stand the test of time. 

Amy Blumenfeld is an award-winning author and journalist. A graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University and the Columbia University School of Journalism, her work has appeared in various publications including the New York Times, The Huffington Post, O, The Oprah Magazine, Hadassah, Moment, and on the cover of People. She is a contributor to the USA Today bestselling anthology, On Being Jewish Now, and her debut novel, The Cast, was listed as a New York Post “Best Book of the Week.” Her second novel, Such Good People, will be published in July. It has been named a "Most Anticipated" book of 2025 by Zibby Owens as well as People and Forbes magazines. Amy lives in New York with her husband and daughter.

Highly recommended!

I caught up with Amy, and ask her about her inspiration, writing, and more. Here’s what she had to say…

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.

After The Cast was published, I knew I wanted to write another novel with childhood friendship at the heart but somehow related to the criminal justice system. The problem was, I had no idea what that story would be. 

Then one day, we were invited to a fundraiser for a halfway house where a family friend was involved as an administrator. Although we weren’t able to attend the event, we started receiving their newsletters and I actually read the mail! In one issue, they profiled some teachers working for the organization and I was fascinated by their stories. Some had their own personal experience being incarcerated and were inspired to make a difference after prison by becoming educators and helping those newly released transition back into society. 

Those teacher profiles helped inspire April’s character. I knew she would be a teacher who was deeply motivated to make a difference for formerly incarcerated individuals…but why? And that’s how I created the backstory. She had a best friend from childhood. He was an incredible person who did something questionable only because he was trying to help her. He paid the price. She paid a price too. What could that be? And it all snowballed from there.

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 intricate life-long bonds of friendships, love, sacrifice, and choices made in our youth returning to challenge the present in these poignantly human characters? 
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. Both raise thought-provoking issues with lots of grey areas but are rooted in the power of life-long friendships and friends who are like family.
 
The big difference between the two is the lens. 

The Cast centers on one character’s medical crisis and how her friends are impacted individually and collectively over time by that experience. 

Such Good People is about the ripple effect of a split-second choice and how a singular moment can change lives and legacies forever.

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 and was in the broadcast track but eventually realized that I was better suited for print instead of broadcast work. 

When I wrote my masters project (basically a feature length magazine story) about adult survivors of childhood cancer, my professor approached me at graduation and insisted that I turn the project into a book. He didn’t say what kind of book, but he planted a seed. At the time, I was 23 and couldn’t afford to just take time to write a book. I needed a job, stability, and health insurance. So, for many years as I worked as a writer or editor in the magazine world, I chipped away at “the book” during my free time never knowing if it would become anything. 

Initially, I envisioned non-fiction – like a series of interviews with childhood cancer survivors. Then I thought about writing a memoir about my own experience as a childhood cancer survivor, but that just felt weird and not fun at all. As years went on, I stopped and started. I grew frustrated and set it aside. I’d then get a great idea and plow for weeks only to encounter writer’s block or get distracted with real world stuff and then skip months to deal with life. I continued to speak with survivors/doctors and kept up with the research regarding long-term pediatric survivorship and I realized there was so much more to tell than my own experience. 

Additionally, I realized I would never read a “cancer book” so why would I write one and expect others to want to read it? 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 would write a novel that was not a cancer book but instead about a close group of friends dealing with love and relationships and life and parenthood and all the things I enjoyed reading but also touched upon the long-term impact of childhood cancer. I envisioned a combination of The Fault in Our Stars and a reunion of old friends like the movie The Big Chill. 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 not sure if it was because I knew I wasn’t going to medical school and this was my way to give back to the pediatric cancer community by raising awareness about survivorship issues, or because I adored my professor and wanted to honor his advice. Either way, I’m glad I stuck with it.
 
What's up next for you?
I’m starting to work on my third book.
 
Where can readers find your work?
www.amyblumenfeld.com
Instagram: amyblumenfeldauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.r.blumenfeld
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
 
 

Stacey Ebert, our Educational Travels Editor, is a traveler at heart who met her Australian-born husband while on a trip in New Zealand. Stacey was an extracurricular advisor and taught history in a Long Island public high school for over fifteen years, enjoying both the formal and informal educational practices. After a one year 'round the world honeymoon, travel and its many gifts changed her perspective. She has since left the educational world to focus on writing and travel. She is energetic and enthusiastic about long term travel, finding what makes you happy and making the leap. In her spare time she is an event planner, yogi, dark chocolate lover, and spends as much time as possible with her toes in the sand.

Check out her website at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com for more of her travel musings.