"Being Polite to Hitler"

I still remember being bowled over by Robb Forman Dew's first novel, "Dale Loves Sophie to Death" (1981). I have read more of her books as well, but that is the one that sticks in my mind. I just finished reading her "Being Polite to Hitler" (Little, Brown, 2011 -- the first 2011 title I've read, I think!), and had that bowled-over feeling again. What a wise novel! First, I should discuss the title. The setting of the novel is Washburn, a small town in Ohio, from the early 50s into the early 70s; people are loath to rock the boat, and feel it is polite not to discuss bad behavior or difficult topics. One day, one character accuses her family and friends of being so devoted to preserving peaceful and conventional discourse that they wouldn't even speak up against Hitler and his deeds. It is true that much goes on under the surface in this town: alcoholism, affairs, feuds, deteriorating marriages, misunderstandings among friends and family members. But there are also a lot of decent people, doing their best, helping each other, preserving traditions. The main character is Agnes, a wise, down to earth, and very likable woman at the center of a large, well-known family in the area. Another main character is the man she marries years after she has been widowed: Sam is the best male character I have read about in a long time. And by best I don't mean most literary or dramatic or best-written; I mean he is a thoroughly good, kind, thoughtful person, a good husband, a good friend, a good citizen, and a person who truly appreciates and enjoys life. I think I am a little in love with Sam! The plot, although a bit meandering, is interesting enough, and we are also given a sense of the events happening in the world around the characters: the nuclear threat, the Cuban crisis, the assassinations of JFK and others, and more. Even a peaceful, prosperous town like Washburn is affected by these events, and by the unease they cause. But the best features of the novel are the wonderful, well-developed characters and the sometimes offhand spot-on observations the characters or the author make. This is a rich, lovely novel, thick with the events of life, large and small, and deeply understanding of the human condition.