“A Good Girl is a raw, real, and relatable gift to the soul on every level. Ms. Bernhard’s writing is so descriptive, reading this book is truly a visceral experience. One cannot help but reflect on their own family legacy and life journey. Prepare to be riveted by this heartbreaking, yet healing story about family, self-discovery and learning how to love.”
—Eva Steortz
“When we think of our family circle, there are so many words that can be spoken about the circle of life that formed us. [A Good Girl] brings the story of family ‘full circle’ reflecting on what matters most, at the end of this life here on earth—love and forgiveness. I was deeply touched by this family's journey of healing— a journey we all inevitable seek to experience with someone in our family.”
—Shari Black
“One of the great pleasures of reviewing books is that of discovering rare jewels, especially those written by up-and-coming Mississippi writers. One of 2017’s best will surely be A Good Girl by author Johnnie Bernhard, who as much as any writer since Flannery O’Connor and Walker Percy, offers a breathtaking tour of the human heart in conflict with itself, desperately searching for grace and redemption in the face of unremitting loss.”
—Jim Frazier, The Sun Herald
“I have found Johnnie Bernhard’s book to touch a powerful chord in my heart. Masterfully written with deep insightinto the journey of family and forgiveness, I'm a better person for having read this book.”
—Cynthia Garrett, author of The Prodigal Daughter
“A beautiful debut novel across oceans and time, with a clear, objective yet poignant Southern voice. A timeless voice much like Doctorow’s Ragtime, A Good Girl is a true Southern American story. A story of one family spanning generations, dealing with love and loss, despair, and redemption, that leaves its readers with a time lesson.”
—Kathryn Brown Ramsperger, author of The Shores of Our Souls
“A family tree comes alive through deft storytelling in Johnnie Bernhard’s debut novel, A Good Girl. The novel unfolds in a series of intimate vignettes that swirl around you like a warm embrace. From South Texas to Ireland to the Mississippi coast, the scenes sweep back and forth between generations of hardworking people trying to survive in a world filled with joy, sorrow, and morsels of hope. At the heart of this story is Gracey Mueller Reiter, a fifty-two-year-old wife and mother who must face her flawed father's death while finding herself caught between her big brother, Tom, and her younger sister, Angela. All three siblings have different viewpoints and memories growing up in a troubled household. Relatable and real, A Good Girl speaks to the heart of what it means to be human; that generations come and go, but love binds us together.”
—Kathleen M. Rodgers, author of The Flying Cutterbucks
