I found this book compelling. It tells the story of people who live life that is not "the way life should be" (Maine's motto). The main conflict is that a murder was committed, but the characters are really the driver of the story. They are sometimes seriously flawed characters and sometimes just folks who do not see any other options for themselves in their small town world. Those who leave and return (even briefly) are caught between two worlds: their choice to leave has alienated them from those who stayed and yet they are heavily influenced by their hometown and its expectations.
The book reminds me of The Beans of Egypt, Maine, but it deals with the more recent issue of drug abuse in small-town Maine.
I liked the book, but I wished that the ending brought more closure for a few of the characters. I was hoping to see them take a more definite direction to their own happiness.
The book reminds me of The Beans of Egypt, Maine, but it deals with the more recent issue of drug abuse in small-town Maine.
I liked the book, but I wished that the ending brought more closure for a few of the characters. I was hoping to see them take a more definite direction to their own happiness.
