It is hard to leave your past behind, especially when the past has brought so much light and happiness to your present.

“The Girl Who Lived in the House by the Hill” is written by ECC’s very own, Mary Ellen Goodwill. Goodwill is a faculty member in the English department at Elgin Community College. This is her very first published book.

“The Girl Who Lived in the House by the Hill” would usually be described as a complex and engaging tale of a girl, who falls in love with her professor. This story is so much more than just a love story. It tells a story of a young girl, Beatrice, who loves to write poetry.

She is the girl with big feet and big front teeth. The girl finding herself. The girl who works two jobs to support herself. The girl who grieves for her grandmother’s death, the closest person to her. The girl with so much love and passion. The girl who is fragile, but does not let people see that part of her. She is the girl who lives in the house by the hill.

It all began in the house by the hill. It was given to her by her grandmother, Gram, for short, who recently passed away.

It continued with Cal, her professor. A love-hate relationship. When class ended and he had to move back to Boston, where he taught, he made a move on Beatrice. Beatrice was intrigued by him; he made her challenge herself. They wrote letters to each other and began a long distance relationship.

When she had problems she always thought back to what her wise Gram would advise her to do. Her friends always helped her even when she would not let them.

While Cal was in Boston, she met another man, a man so kind yet so tempered.

Many authors write paragraphs and words the same way throughout; sometimes it bores the reader. The book does not have many long paragraphs, which I think help the readers stay focused on the book instead of daydreaming.

The layout was very unique. It was split into four, short books. It seems to be that every start of the book is at a different stage of her life. While writing in the present, she would flash back to a past memory to tell the reader a backstory or a special moment in her life. This was very clever and unique of her to incorporate the background story in that way.

This book is written in a way that makes readers want to keep reading more. Goodwill incorporates poetry, description and passion into her book. Her detailed descriptions are captivating and let readers build a picture.

For example, in book one, chapter five, Goodwill writes:

“She was a tall woman in a classy gray dress fitted perfectly to her alluring figure. It had a wide black belt, clinching her waist, and hip level pocket slit at an angle and embroidered in black on the flaps. The same embroidery enhanced the shoulders which had a similar overlap construction. The skirt was straight and fell just below the knee. The sleeves were short.”

“The Girl Who Lived in the House by the Hill” is not your typical read. It brings all types of emotions and incorporates family, ethics, love, and friendship. Goodwill did an amazing job of keeping the reader interested. Many readers love a good plot twist and this story is not an exception.