I often wonder who chooses the excerpt for us to read in Bookish First.At first glance at the cover, the reader imagines a nostalgic look back at a simple small town, tight knit with picnics and wedding receptions held in the center of town in a ivy covered gazebo. This is far from the case, in the first few pages the reader is bombarded by arson,a manipulative character trying to capitalize on the devastation of a small business owner, and a young adult who barely grew up in a single mother home because she was hiding her cutting habit. The author let us have all of these topics with machine gun precision right between the eyes with not one pause ,or unnecessary description. I easily see this book enjoyed by book clubs , or discussion worthy in college classrooms. I cannot wait to read to the conclusion, to see if the relationship between the father and daughter can be rebuilt, and if karma will prevail preventing further gentrification of Gilespie County.