Closer All the Time

The inhabitants of Baxter, Maine are going nowhere fast—but not for lack of trying. In this deftly written jewel of a novel, veteran author Jim Nichols explores the bittersweet nature of small-town life through the eyes of several different characters. For instance, there's Johnny Lunden, a well-meaning war Vet with a penchant for the local bar and a deep but doomed love for his family. There's eight-year-old Ted Soule, who shares a first kiss with the Ophelia-like Nadia, the daughter of hi...