by Mike Pence
Jack Morrison returns to his hometown of Cedar Falls after losing his tech job in Silicon Valley. The rural Indiana community struggles with slow internet speeds that prevent local businesses from competing online. Jack discovers the town council has rejected multiple broadband proposals due to cost concerns and political infighting. He partners with Sarah Chen, a local librarian who runs coding classes from her cramped facility. Together they navigate federal grant applications, suspicious neighbors, and corporate resistance from the existing phone company. Jack must choose between a lucrative job offer in Chicago and his growing commitment to Cedar Falls. The story examines how technology gaps divide communities and whether one person can bridge the distance between progress and tradition.
Genres: business, contemporary, technology, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Cedar Falls, Indiana, Chicago, Silicon Valley
Period: 21st-century
185 pages · Paperback · Diane Pub Co