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Good Joy, Bad Joy
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Good Joy, Bad Joy

By: Mikki Brammer
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

She's lived by the rules. Now she's breaking them . . .

For more than eighty years, Joy Bridport has followed the rules - devoted wife, loving mother, steadfast neighbor in her small town. But when her best friend Hazel is given only months to live, Joy is forced to confront the truth: Hazel has lived fully, while she has only played it safe.

Determined to change, Joy vows to live boldly in the time she and Hazel have left together. What begins as small rebellions soon snowball into petty crimes, and Joy must decide whether she can embrace the freedom of 'Bad Joy' without losing the life and legacy she's built.

With humor, heart, and irresistible mischief, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a wise, bighearted celebration of friendship, second chances, and the courage to become who we were always meant to be.


'A beautifully reflective story of lifelong friendship, legacy, and what it truly means to lead a "good" life.' Natalie Sue, author of I Hope This Finds You Well

'Uplifting, charming, and wonderful, it will make you call your oldest friend to say "I love you, I'm so glad you're alive, and also, please read this book".' Annie Hartnett, author of The Road to Tender Hearts

'A multilayered love letter to the wonder and resilience of female friendship, but also a tender reminder that at any stage of life, even at 89, it is never too late to bloom . and to rediscover joy.' Jessica George, author of Maame

© Mikki Brammer 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction

Critic Reviews

This is a beautiful and moving story about friendship and second chances late in life. Uplifting, charming, and wonderful, it will make you call your oldest friend to say 'I love you, I’m so glad you’re alive, and also, please read this book. (Annie Hartnett, author of The Road to Tender Hearts)
Good Joy, Bad Joy is a book that everyone should read. A beautifully reflective story of lifelong friendship, legacy, and what it truly means to lead a “good” life. I adored the colorful cast of characters, and watching Joy come of age - to her nineties! This was a deep, life affirming and entertaining experience full of hijinks, tender insights, and a reminder that it’s never too late to redefine your life... (Natalie Sue, author of I Hope This Finds You Well)
Once again, Mikki delivers a beautiful story, one that balances the complexity of grief with moments of levity and warmth in the deft, unmistakable style she is becoming known for. Good Joy, Bad Joy is not only a multilayered love letter to the wonder and resilience of female friendship, but also a tender reminder that at any stage of life, even at 89, it is never too late to bloom, to forge new connections, and to rediscover joy. (Jessica George, New York Times bestselling author of Maame)
Brammer has crafted a heartwarming, poignant story of self-discovery and hope.
A refreshing, humorous, cozy novel
With compassion and insight, Good Joy, Bad Joy shines a light on the quiet invisibility that settles over women as they age, then sweeps it aside with humor and heart. This deeply human novel captures the beauty of lifelong friendship and the gentle, inspiring truth that we are never finished becoming ourselves (Anna Johnston, author of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife)
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