Books: Domestic Fiction

Those People Behind Us

November 1, 2023November 1, 2023 by onemoreexclamation

Welcome to my spot on Those People Behind Us by Mary Camarillo Book Tour hosted by Suzy Approved Book Tours.

About Those People Behind Us

Title: Those People Behind Us

Written by: Mary Camarillo

Published: October 10, 2023

Publisher: She Writes Press

Pages: 302

ISBN: 9781647425654

It’s the summer of 2017 in Wellington Beach, California, a suburban coastal town increasingly divided by politics, protests, and escalating housing prices, divisions that change the lives of five neighbors. Each character confronts death, betrayal, financial decline, and loneliness as they search for home and community in a neighborhood where no one can agree on who belongs.

Real estate agent Lisa Kensington juggles her job, her shopaholic husband, a mother who knows how to push her buttons, and teenagers with ideas of their own.

Ray Gorman is a haunted Vietnam vet, also caring for his aging mother.

Keith Nelson, an ex-con, lives in his car, parked near his parent’s house.

Sixteen-year-old Josh Kowalski works through the shock of his father’s abandonment by slamming on a drum set.

Jeannette Larsen, an aerobics teacher numbed by horrific tragedy, turns away from her husband and toward reckless behavior.

In the end, they all discover that despite their differences, they are more connected than any of them realize.

Reviews for Those People Behind Us

“A gripping read that captures the pettiness, complexity, and surprising tenderness of living in a suburban environment.” Sara Flannery Murphy, author of Girl One and The Wonder State

“Fans of Liane Moriarty will savor the raw suspense and mystery Camarillo has skillfully woven. Juxtaposed against the bright and sunny Southern California sky, this multi-generational tale takes a deep dive into the minds and motivations of a seemingly harmless neighborhood as it strips back each dark and complicated layer, piece by piece.” Suzanne Simonetti, USA Today bestselling author of The Sound of Wings

“Thoughtful and riveting. In Those People Behind Us, Mary Camarillo trains an astute yet empathetic eye on the residents of one Southern California planned community in the year 2017, dissecting the mental and emotional cracks in our foundation at the brink of the Trump era.” Shelley Blanton-Stroud, author of Copy Boy and Tom Boy

“Peyton Place with a twist of Trump.” Eduardo Santiago, author of Tomorrow They Will Kiss and Midnight Rhumba

“A fascinating and perceptive read about growth, acceptance, and understanding people different than yourself.” Diana Wagman, author of Spontaneous and Extraordinary October

Even More Reviews

“As skillfully as Elizabeth Strout and Susan Straight, Mary Camarillo captures her diverse beach town community with such precision, you feel you are eavesdropping on real people’s lives, with all their dreams and disappointments, faults and frailties. Though Camarillo touches on hot topics such as homelessness, low-income housing, racism, and political differences, she lets her characters express their differing views and leaves it to her readers to draw their own conclusions. What I liked most about this beautifully crafted novel was the ultimate truth woven throughout that despite our differences, most of us are more alike than we are different.”—Debra Thomas, author of Luz: A Novel

“Those People Behind Us,” is author Mary Camarillo’s second book and she has once again written a winner! The plot deals with racism and insecurities in a town that could be anywhere in America. This author’s writing is sharp, and realistic with characters that are so well drawn, you will definitely recognize people you know in them. Those People Behind Us will keep you turning pages in order to find out what will happen in the end and it won’t disappoint.” — Leslie A. Rasmussen, Award-winning author of After Happily Ever After and The Stories We Cannot Tell

My Thoughts

“This book overflows with flawed characters. From racism to floozyism (that’s my new word), it has it all. What do these characters have in common? They live in the same upscale neighborhood. Each character has their own chapter introduction. You’re not going to like them, I can about guarantee that. Then the author weaves these folks together and you end up having empathy for them. It’s really quite amazing – and perhaps we can all learn to live in unity as a result.” -Kim Wilch, One More Exclamation, author of WTF (why the frown) Duck: adulting with humor.

About The Author

Mary Camarillo is the award-winning author of The Lockhart Women. Her second novel Those People Behind Us will be published in October of 2023. Her poems and short fiction have appeared in publications such as TAB Journal, 166 Palms, Sonora Review, and The Ear. Mary writes about living in Southern California, a place she’s called home for more than fifty-five years and is still trying to understand. She had a long career with the postal service, which might be genetic—both her grandfathers were railway mail clerks. Mary sorted mail, sold stamps, worked in the accounting office, and went to night school, eventually earning a degree in business administration, a CPA license, and a Certificate in Internal Auditing.

She currently serves on the advisory boards of Citric Acid, An Orange County Literary Arts Quarterly, and LibroMobile, An Arts Cooperative and Bookstore in Santa Ana, California. She’s a member of Women Writing the West, Women Who Submit, and Women for Orange County. Mary lives in Huntington Beach, California with her husband, who plays ukulele, and their terrorist cat Riley, who makes frequent appearances on Instagram.

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