In the Long Run

What does your hometown mean to you? I struck out for college at age 18 and have only returned to my (not-so-quaint anymore) little town maybe 3 or 4 times in the succeeding two decades. It's grown and prospered to the point where it's barely recognizable anymore - sure, I know some of the landmarks, but even those seem to have sprouted the generic "apartments on the top, commercial underneath brick facade" block-length buildings that have come to define 21st century architecture.

But, if asked, I'd still say it's where I'm from. 

That seems odd to me. Your hometown shapes you, in ways good and bad. It provides the backdrop for your early life yes, but it also dictates what types of people and experiences you're exposed to, the values you're inculcated with, and the cast of characters populating your life definitely makes huge impacts on who you turn out to be as a person.

The title of In the Long Run sort presupposes that our hometowns are responsible for the desire paths in our lives, whether we choose to follow the freshly poured sidewalk (main character Brooke) or venture off on our own (love interest Taylor). Brooke is a no-nonsense town manager who gets (adorably) flustered when confronted with things outside her control. She's lived in Faircombe all her life, and has no desire to reach beyond it; wanting to contribute back to the positive feedback loop she feels the town has given her.

Taylor, by contrast, is a free spirit, a travel blogger (this book being released in the depths of Covid is either hugely fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) who feels restless whenever it feels like anything resembling roots have started to take hold. Given her upbringing and experience with the town, this diametrically opposed view seems entirely justified.

The same general circumstances, even interactions among the same family, can produce drastically different people. We are not who our history forces us to be, but our history does influence who we decide to become. 

I will admit this story took me a second re-read to really appreciate some of the depth and layering that goes into the character and town. I'm not sure if it's for everybody - there's an awwwwful lot of town business in these pages, and not usually in the fun Pawnee way. But the way these characters interact with one another, grow and change, provides a pleasant perk of perusal.