Rating: 4.00 (1 ratings)
First published 2007
Lifelong Thomaston resident Lucy Lynch is about to take the trip of a lifetime to Italy with his wife Sarah. But before they go, Lucy decides to write the story of his hometown, his family, and his own life. As he delves into the past, long-buried secrets and old rivalries resurface, forcing Lucy to confront the choices that have defined him. Woven throughout is the story of his oldest friend, a renowned painter who fled Thomaston years ago and now lives a solitary life in Venice. Russo's signature blend of humor, insight, and empathy brings this quintessential American town and its inhabitants vividly to life, exploring the meaning of home, the tug of the past, and the human capacity for reinvention.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Italy, New York (State), Thomaston
528 pages · Hardcover · Alfred A. Knopf