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 his Russian neighbors, and Tomi Lambert who observes the confusion of the adults around her as they struggle with accepting their fates. Closer All the Time is that very special novel that delivers quick-moving, compelling storytelling with a lasting emotional wallop. You’ll devour it in one sitting, but its characters will stay with you for a lifetime.