First published 2001
In the faded mill town of Empire Falls, Miles Roby runs the local diner, trapped by family obligations and the ghosts of his past. When his ex-wife threatens to take their daughter away, Miles must confront his own failings and the decline of his once-prosperous community. As he navigates a complex web of personal and civic responsibilities, Miles discovers that redemption may lie in embracing the very roots he's been trying to escape. At its heart, this is the story of an ordinary man striving to forge a better life against the relentless tide of history.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: ordinary-man, redemption
Setting: Maine, Empire Falls
Period: 20th-century
483 pages · Hardcover · Knopf