Make Good Choices is a deeply-rendered love note to Chicago in four story sections. "Larkins" follows Gabriel Larkin's family's move from a South Side Irish-American neighborhood to the suburbs. "Old Chicago" centers on unlikely reunions and alliances from the 1960s to present day, highlighting cultural institutions of the Loop threatened by street violence. In "Difficult Kids," a foster child's deepest desire to belong finds him falling in love with the girl next door, a budding pianist. "Larkin Redux" returns Gabriel to his origins in Rogers Park, where he must reconcile a long life of difficult choices.
About the Author :
Eileen T. Lynch is a writer, editor, and educator. Her debut novel "Splenditude" was published by High Frequency Press in June 2025. After managing an ethics program for a Chicago non-profit, she shifted gears to supervise a behavioral resource room at a local high school. Her stories, essays and poems appear in numerous publications. Learn more at eileenlynch.com.
Review :
"In Make Good Choices, Eileen Lynch delivers a moving and deeply human collection of linked stories, each one filled with characters as flawed as they are relatable. Following the Larkin family across generations, these stories trace lives shaped by quiet decisions made in kitchens, hospital rooms, prairie fields, and Chicago streets. With compassion and restraint, Lynch captures the tension between responsibility and desire, allowing her characters to make mistakes as they search for meaning, connection, and a sense of home and family. From June's childhood fascination with flowers and science on the edge of an Illinois prairie, to Joe's reckoning with memory, mortality, and an unfinished play, to the adult divide between brothers Frank and Gabriel as they navigate work, caregiving, and family obligation, the collection moves fluidly through time while remaining grounded in vividly observed moments. With her sharp eye for place and strong character work, Lynch's newest work offers an intimate portrait of Chicago life. These words and situations will resonate with readers as they helplessly watch the characters meditate on legacy, love, and the hope that even imperfect choices might still lead us somewhere meaningful. Lynch is becoming one of my favorite writers with each and every page she shares. Readers will not be disappointed." -Jeff Hill, author of Dead Socials
"Reading Make Good Choices feels like listening to a friend tell you stories at a kitchen table over coffee. Stories about people you instantly recognize--they're just like you, or people you know, with the same internal woes and conflicts and joys. It begins with stories of the Larkin family, following them through generations, then swerves to tales about other people, surprising you with connections. Family dynamics, siblings that don't quite get along, feel realistic-like what you'd chat about over coffee! Time periods range from Prohibition memories to the 1970s to current post-COVID times, all with wonderful setting detail. I love the variety of characters-a gifted singer with stage fright, a teen drawn to set fires, a suburban mom petrified of her son becoming a city social worker, an older woman revisiting a lost love. Her characters mourn dreams not fulfilled, but threads of hope and resilience run throughout.
As a Chicagoan, I love the authentic details-city landmarks, public transit delays, the Cubs-Sox rivalry, living by el trains that rattle past at all hours. Eileen skillfully depicts the landscapes of downtown Chicago and the Rogers Park neighborhood, plus north suburbs and small-town Illinois. But you don't have to be a Chicagoan or Illinois resident to love these realistic stories about characters on life journeys, struggling to "make good choices."" -Diane O'Neill, author of Please Be OK
"Make Good Choices by Eileen T. Lynch that uses a fascinating writing style to show how our homes can sometimes shape who we become. The way the plot is put together is very creative. Lynch avoids a straightforward timeline, choosing rather to link these stories to shared spaces (for example, a specific apartment in Rogers Park) and the characters' personal issues." -Jefto Pierre, Reader's Favorite
"Splenditude might genuinely be one of my favorite reads this year. The portrayal of bipolar disorder felt so real and Deidre's slow spiral from losing her boyfriend to her job to her mental health was honestly gutting to read. There are some heavy suicide themes so definitely go in prepared, but I think that's kind of the point. It's the kind of book that makes you want to check on the people you love. If you're looking for a story about hitting rock bottom and actually finding your way back, this is it." -Kimberly Carvalho, NetGalley
