Running Against Traffic

Paige Scott was feeling unhappy in her marriage with her husband David, and received a rude awakening when he dumped her in a small town in the middle of nowhere, far outside their home of Pennsylvania, called Wells Lake. Masked as a weekend retreat for the two of them, Paige was already feeling unenthused about getting coerced into going on the outing, and even more so when she discovered that David’s intention was to drop her off and drive back home upon arriving at the run-down “vacation home” he bought for the two of them. And just like that David left her with nothing more than her weekend bag, a goodbye, and his permission for Paige to see other men.

As Paige overcomes the initial shock of her circumstances and begins to cope with being alone in the small town, and a severe lack of funds, the narrative starts to settle into a slower pace compared to the beginning. The plot is not overly complicated, but simple in nature as Paige works through resolving her problems. One of the ways in which Paige takes solace is running. Running becomes her way of managing emotions and stress and she relies on it as a steady routine to live by.

We see Paige go through depression and elation, and maneuvering around complicated relationships as she tries to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life by taking care of the town that is also taking care of her. Running Against Traffic is a story about self-redemption, and although the subject matter may sound like heavy material, the language is light and casual. The dialogue was funny at moments and although some of the complicated relationships between characters were left a bit vague and unexplained, the main protagonists were all likable and fun. This is a book that those interested in light-hearted literature will enjoy.