This is an excellent novel that depicts life in a small town during ...
580895
This is an excellent novel that depicts life in a small town during the late 1960s. The United States was in chaos with the anti-war movement but life in small towns was still untouched. This novel is about love but it's also about a town that is forced to join the chaos going on in the US.

Charlotte lives in a small town in Illinois. Her brother was killed in Vietnam two years earlier and she isn't sure at this point how she feels about the war. As she starts college (still in her small town), the feelings against the war are growing on campus - mostly led by her boyfriend Deke. When she first sees Joe in her English class, she realizes that he is former military. He walks using a cane and wears fatigue jackets. After the tumult of his days in Vietnam, Joe just wants to find a perfect little town and start his life over again and hopefully find peace. As Charlotte and Joe get to know each other better, their romance is in direct contrast to the anit war movement going on in the town. Joe is looking for peace and Deke is trying to start conflict. Will Joe and Char be able to find love during this time of chaos?

As someone who grew up in the same period as the people in this novel, I want to commend the author on the fantastic job she did of depicting what it was like in American during this time. The love story between Char and Joe is perfectly played out during this time period.
4727257
It is difficult to describe this novel, so I will begin with a short summary of the story. Fiona is a free-lance writer who is living a quiet life in a small town on the very end of the Door County peninsula. (For those who don't know, the peninsula juts into Lake Michigan with the main access roads leading east onto the peninsula from approximately Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is a picturesque area of small towns, lake front, farms, and cafes that is very popular as a summer destination for Chicagoans.) Like most summer resorts, the fulltime residents are set a bit apart from the tourists that they need to provide cash. Fiona has been one of those full-time residents. She has a small circle of friends in this area that would already seem remote and isolated to many of us. Her closest friend is another 30 something single woman (Elisabeth) who runs an art gallery. It is the very end of the summer season and the two friends go by ferry to Washington Island, an even more remote resort area off the farthest point of the peninsula where there is a very small town and very small year-round population. Access is only by ferry and her descriptions of the ferries and their operation as a lifeline are some of the best parts of the book. Most of the novel is set on Washington Island where on a dare and a whim, Fiona buys an old home and settles in for the winter. The descriptions of the social life on the island are engaging and insightful. After spending time on the upper peninsula of Michigan scrubbing mouse droppings out of a kitchen and encouraging bats to vacate a rustic cabin, much of the book rang true to me. Most of the conflict centers around the relatively undeveloped character of the mean spinster bully who lives next door; survival of the harsh winter conditions; and Robert, the strong-minded goat. The tone of the book sometimes light and sometimes thoughtful. There is one place (at an island concert) that made me laugh aloud and it made me wish that there had been more humor in the book. There are things in the book that are dissatisfying, but I cannot describe them here without spoiling the story. Most of my problem is with the Deus Ex Machina aspects which the author expressly discusses and embraces. Coincidence, contrivance, fate, romance, or just plain incredible is up to you. There are some mentions of ghosts that seem out of place, some deceptions and back door coercion that also bothered me. It is a romance of sorts without much romance. At its best, it a picture of small town living in a very remote part of Wisconsin with a challenging climate with some good pictures of friendship.
1987427
As I read this gentle, marvelous novel, I felt as though I was reading about real people in a real town with a real history. Susanne Bacon excels at fleshing out her characters, giving them dreams, backstories, and detailed, authentic histories going back generations. I felt as though these people really lived! Set in the fictional town of Wycliff in the Puget Sound, Wordless Wishes features a community of sympathetic characters seeking love, success, and the deeper meaning of their lives.
1380919
The episodic nature of this book--selected weekly columns from a small town paper--lends itself well to reading in bits and pieces. It really pulled me in. Having grown up in a small Minnesota town about half a generation later, it was easy to picture the kinds of people, places and events that McIntosh describes. After a while, it was almost as though I was a member of the community, experiencing WWII on the home front as it unfolded. I found myself "recognizing" recurring characters and worrying about how things were going to turn out for various families and individuals. McIntosh's story gets closure--I'd love to see a follow-up book that revisits some of the folks and families prominently featured in here in order to find out how their stories turned out as well.
907012
In 1992 in a sleepy little town in NSW something very unusual happens. Young Rosie White disappears overnight, leaving her mother devastated and the townsfolk speculating. Just one week later another member of the community disappears; Bart McDonald, local butcher, upright citizen, all round good guy. He went fishing and never returned. Could their disappearances be connected, or is it merely co-incidental? And will the citizens of Goodwood ever know the truth?

In Goodwood there are a few shops, a couple of drinking establishments and just out of town, a lovely lake, perfect for fishing and boating. Seventeen year old Jean Brown introduces us to this small town, where everyone knows everyone. And where everyones business is kept by the whole town. Some people have learnt how to keep secrets, but eventually most secrets come to the surface. Jean lives with her mother nearby her grandparents, who have been in Goodwood forever.

A complex web of secrets and intrigues shrouds the members of Goodwood, which only start to unravel after the shocking disappearance of two very different people. Like an iceberg, much more lurks beneath the surface in Goodwood, hidden behind the public facade of each household. There is plenty of gossip, and just maybe some of it is true. Rosie works in the takeaway shop, having just left school the year before. Jean is a little bit in love with Rosie, who seems so cool and in control. In contrast, Bart is middle-aged and always has time for everyone, even the annoying old lady that visits his shop everyday mostly for a chat. They are very different people, superficially without a lot in common, just what is it that links their disappearances?

Goodwood sucked me in very early on. The plot was intricate, the characters interesting, and the pace moderate. It is a most enjoyable read about small town life and the impact that a sudden and unexpected event can illicit among the townspeople. It also has coming-of-age elements as Jean learns more about herself, her relationships and her place within the community.

I found this novel quite nostalgic, pulling me back into my childhood. Through description and characterisation, the world as it was in the early nineties came flooding back. The writing perfectly captured that time, and I was left with a feeling of familiarity and contentment. It was like having a spotlight shone upon a time that I had mostly forgotten as a young child, and that brought pleasing memories forth. This helped me feel connected to Jean, and thus connected to the story. Goodwood was a delight to read.

Goodwood is reminiscent of Peyton Place and The Dressmaker; if you liked these, try Goodwood, Im sure you will not be disappointed! It is suitable for upper high school students and adults, particularly appealing to mystery fans and those that enjoy the complexities of small community life.

*I received this book from the publisher as an uncorrected proof through an online competition. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.
1337015
I loved this small town, the well developed characters and the sense of community, and inspector Gamache!  Subtle, sensitive, many threads, but a good story!
2126067
L.B. Johnson's novel is about self-discovery in a small town.  What really shines is less the story line than the psychological exploration of the heroine.  That exploration (and her lush writing style) makes the characters come to life.  Indeed, it makes us consider our own lives - as someone who has a family member struggling with dementia, this bit about the heroine's mother and her struggle with Alzheimer's jumped at me:

"Initially, she had little moments of forgetfulness, like any person of her age, but she was such a bundle of energy, still active in church and volunteering, taking dance classes, working in the garden.  Then one morning, out of the blue, she came into the kitchen and sat down, looking at me and I realized she did not have a clue as to who I was.  What struck me was not that but the look on her face as she realized this, realized she should know."

Johnson's ability to make you stop reading and think about your own life is remarkable, and is spread throughout the book.  This about a rescue dog is one of a million similar gems:

"On my couch is the form of a little black dog.  I do not know why Clyde was a stray.  He responds with great plaintiff urgency to the sound of small children laughing, looking around for them as to say "my kids, my kids" only to get this look of pure sadness when he sees they are strangers.  The first time I witnessed it, I cried."

Johnson tells you a story not by telling it, but by showing you these scenes, one after another.  I found it a slow book to read because I would suddenly snap back from where I had been mentally wandering, remembering a time when I too had had an experience like what was being described.

This book asks big questions: What is it to be human?  What is it to live the Good Life?  What is it to leave that Good Life?

I cannot recommend this book more highly.
653536
WHISPER HOLLOW is an excellent novel.  It is rich in multiple, relevant  themes, characterization and has a well realized historical setting in a West Virginia coal mining town that goes across several decades.  It is not a "feel good" book but a thoughtful and memorable one.  I highly recommend it to those who like literary fiction especially those  with a fondness for novels with a twentieth century small town setting.
2151464
This is a well written book that portrays small town life in the early twentieth century. Each chapter is like a separate story but they are linked together through some characters(a newspaper writer) that appear in several of  them. The book is very well written and interesting but very bleak. This is a town of dashed hopes where peoples dreams are crushed over time. Very few escape but the ones that stay never enjoy a happy ending. Still, it is so well written that I am glad I read it. You better leave Winesburg if you want to chase your dreams.
2310907
This is a wonderful novel about the people of the Yangtze valley in China and how there lives are disrupted when government promises are not met.  It is an excellent window into the cultural and historical aspects of China in it's approach to "girls" in their society.
3196676
Phyllis LaPlante's "Main Street Stories" takes the reader where one small town doesn't want you to go -  beneath the seemingly normal surface of this everyman's 1950s town to reveal the seedy secrets of its residents.  Adultery, mental illness, and religious rigidity plague the colorful characters in this gripping novel as LaPlante illustrates that the small town can't hide from "big city" problems.  The author artfully weaves the stories together through fast-paced dialogue and even quicker plot turns.  "Main Street Stories" is a fun read for those anxious to pierce the illusion of small town innocence and naivet.
2700922
This novel has all the makings of small town life with conflict and drama between the characters that keeps the reader interested and turning pages. I loved being in the tattoo artist's head and reading how she struggles with her life decisions. Her family ties are strong and pull her in different directions as the storyline progresses to the end. Miss Baby is my favorite character in the novel, but all the characters are well developed and have a clear voice. The two small towns have a separate setting unique to the residents. These lives are intertwined as the conflict builds and drama unfolds between those involved in the plot. This is definitely a well thought out story and worth the reader's time.
1434565
This book took me awhile to get into it--so many characters whose lives are all intertwined in some way. But I was enthralled by the small English town setting. Having lived in England for three years near a small rural town I well remember the people and the class differences--not much different really than small town rural USA where I grew up. The story was depressing at times, but I feel Americans have this idea that we should be happy all the time (could be the advertising campaigns we see / hear on TV, radio and in print), but most of our lives are mundane interspersed with moments of happiness. I liked the way the characters lives and histories were brought forward bit by bit. How well do any of us know our neighbors or where they came from; why they have made the choices they have in life and what they'd like to forget? How many of us see injustice around us and turn a blind eye? How many of us live our lives without ever leaving our safe confines, whether physical or intellectual? This book takes us out of our comfort zone into a world we may be interested in, but certainly wouldn't want to live in. Or are we already there and don't realize it?
4809496
I loved this book because it was so true to life and didn't sugar coat life on its own terms. It did show how faith can impact our lives and how God is always there for us, whether we realize it or not. While it's doing that, it is also dealing with contemporary problems and issues while taking place in an Amish setting.

Whether you are a person of faith or not, this is an excellent read.
I'd recommend this novel to anyone who likes to read "slice of life" novels or novels that describe the Amish life. The story has multiple layers and many mini-stories expertly woven together in a seamless style making the characters come to life and Eagle Hill becoming a real location.
1472262
I enjoyed "Home Town" because it delved into the "shadow town" that underlies the physical town most people experience.  The characters that Kidder chose to follow were interesting and eclectic.  The  realities of the dark side of Northampton were amply illustrated as were  some of its historical and rebuilding facets.
Kidder's characteristically  clear prose and ability to draw illustrative scenes is evident throughout  the book.  I've rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because it didn't reach a  satisfactory sense of closure -- many loose ends dangle.  While this is a  characteristic of the life of Northampton - or any town - I would have felt  closure if Kidder had provided more follow-up on the main  characters.
This is a good read and portrays something that may be  missing for much of our transient society - a true sense of place and  belonging.  The multi-generational history of some of the book's characters  should be warmly familiar to long-time members of any small town.
1643263
Sally Wiener Grotta's first novel has excellent writing, rich descriptive passages and intriguing characterization.  It captures a small Pennsylvania town dealing with and trying to rise above racial stereotyping in a moving portrait.  The reader comes to care for the characters deeply.  A fine debut!
985482
I enjoyed this novel based on a true story and would recommend for all who love small town characters and stories of intrigue.