This book amplifies the voices and experiences of working class poor people in a small rust belt town. As someone who enjoys the privileges of being middle class, well educated, white collar, and urban, I appreciated learning about people whom I would likely never meet on my own. The best part about this book is how these characters, even the local slumlords who are just trying to hold their heads above water too, feel authentic and well rounded.

The weakest issue is that the story sometimes veers into sentimentality, and convenient plot twists force the narrative into a "poor but real" versus "fake rich folks" dichotomy. The book ends without resolving some key plot points, almost as if the author ran out of steam (or perhaps she wanted the readers to continue the story within their own imaginations?). Recommended for all libraries. ( )