Griffin used to be an economically depressed, rural town. But in recent years, it’s caught the eye of wealthy city-dwellers looking for country weekend homes. And with these new part-time residents comes new higher-end shops and services, causing a tug-of-war between long-time residents and the “carpetbaggers.”
Paul and his husband moved to Griffin with the intent of Paul running for the open Congressional seat in this swing district. His opponent is Chip, owner of the local bar and the town supervisor. Paul and his husband convinced many of their friends to purchase homes in Griffin, and townspeople aren’t sure how they feel about that.
Chip’s perfect nuclear family definitely has some cracks in it, which are exacerbated by the campaign. His wife Diane is the real estate agent selling many of these couples their homes, yet she still hasn’t come to terms with her college-aged son Will’s own sexuality. And their older son Joe’s battle with addiction has only gotten worse since his best friend died of an overdose.
The book takes place between Memorial Day and Election Day, and there’s so much more going on than just the campaign. This story has sooo many characters but I found many of them really fascinating. All in all, this was an impressive debut!
“That’s the trouble with second homes, Stan realizes: You just want to be in them, not look beyond them. He understands this without judgment. Empathy takes energy, and his friends draw their energy from the city. They come to Griffin to relax, but politics is not relaxing, and comfort doesn’t motivate, it placates. Just because they’ve bought the right to vote here doesn’t mean they must spend their empathy here.”
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