Americana Personified

I have to admit that I first noticed this book because of its cover. I hadn't read anything written by Russo before. I just saw two people at a diner and a seal that said that it won the Pulitzer Prize. I didn't know what to expect, so I just dove in. I was very pleasantly delighted by what I found--an intricate, moving story about a score of mostly likable characters in a depressed New England town. The writing was so natural that I actually felt like I lived in the town of Empire Falls and knew the characters personally. I'm actually a little sad that I don't have anything more to read about them. This book has everything--humor, deception, heart. We watch the characters grow as they learn more about themselves and the uncertain world that they live in. Russo has captured the essence of small town America in this masterpiece that is sure to resonate with everyone who once had dreams of the future that now seem like a distant memory.