The From-Aways: A Novel

Leah is a newcomer to Menamon, Maine. A bit eccentric, Leah has built fantasies of what life in this small town will be like based on the stories her husband tells her about his childhood, and now she just wants to belong, to no longer be a “from-away.” Quinn, on the other hand, moved to Menamon after her mother’s death, determined to confront her father about abandoning them. Leah and Quinn become hesitant friends after both acquiring jobs at the local newspaper. They make a strangely proficient team, but their skills are put to the test by the construction of a huge house along the waterfront, which threatens to displace a local landmark.

The From-Aways is a rambling sort of novel; it will take some reading to figure out where this story is heading, and yet you’ll enjoy it so much that you won’t want to put it down in the meantime. I love how Quinn and Leah each have such distinct voices, and are so different from one another; it makes their friendship that much more enjoyable to read about. This book will get under your skin, and you will likely find yourself tearing up at the end.