) First edition | |
| Author | Philip Roth |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | May 12, 1967 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 306 |
| OCLC | 31045007 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3568.O855 W46 1995 |
| Preceded by | Letting Go |
| Followed by | Portnoy's Complaint |
When She Was Good (1967) is Philip Roth's only novel with a female protagonist. It is set in a small town in the American Midwest during the 1940s, and portrays a moralistic young woman, Lucy Nelson. When still a child, Lucy had her alcoholic father thrown in jail. Ever since then, she has been trying to reform the men around her, even if that ultimately means destroying herself in the process.