false 86699 6 Northampton, Massachusetts, boasts a rich history that dates back to the 17th century. It is home to Mount Holyoke, which has been climbed by Charles Dickens and Henry James (among others), and to Sylvia Plath's alma mater, Smith College. It has always been the quintessential New England town, while becoming in recent years a politically progressive small city, whose population of 30,000 has WASPs rubbing elbows with lesbians, immigrants, students, and the homeless. Driven by a narrative force comparable to that of the best fiction, <I>Home Town</I> is a remarkable evocation of small-town life at the end of the 20th century.<p> Probing beneath Northampton's friendly exterior, Pulitzer-winning author Tracy Kidder uncovers the town's many layers, from the lowest to the highest rungs of society, and renders a portrait of Northampton by introducing those who know it best. Kidder relies most heavily on native Tommy O'Connor, a 33-year-old police sergeant who has never left his beloved hometown. Tommy's optimism and gentle humor make him an appealing guide, as he shows both the darkest and most charming streets of his town and wrestles with a future that may forever alter his relationship to Northampton. Kidder also introduces readers to Laura Baumeister, a young working mother and Ada Comstock scholar at Smith College who is struggling to care for her son and keep up with the rigorous school curriculum; Alan Scheinman, a real estate lawyer who made a fortune in the 1980s, now plagued by a crippling case of obsessive-compulsive disorder; and Samson Rodriguez, a former loom operator who may have been one of the first people to bring crack cocaine to Northampton. <I>--Kera Bolonik</I> 2361811 1999 Home Town total:315|5:47|4:144|3:103|2:16|1:5| 315 1157 449 42 4 0 false true Tue Jun 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 06:03:47 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 04 06:13:16 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Sep 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 13 12:54:36 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 22 14:24:50 -0700 2009
Pressed for time here, I wholeheartedly agree with M Norton's August review : "A vivid, detailed and thoughtful social history of Northampton, Mas...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Aug 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 17:20:54 -0700 2009 Sat Aug 22 07:00:52 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Wed Oct 14 07:08:59 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 07:08:59 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Jan 15 18:32:50 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 15 18:38:29 -0800 2009 The book was a string of vignettes strung out over three hundred pages. Some more interesting than others. I like Northampton, have been there, eaten there, have friends who graduated from Smith. I like the diversity, but I so tired of...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 30 00:37:46 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 00:37:56 -0700 2009
...more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri May 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue May 12 10:25:27 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 08:02:36 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 15 12:09:23 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 09 07:19:00 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jul 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 20:13:41 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 16 18:10:14 -0700 2009 ...more...]]> 0 0 false false Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 20 12:14:25 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 20 12:15:52 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 08:27:37 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 20 08:29:50 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1999 Thu Oct 08 14:24:48 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 09 07:07:52 -0700 2009 Because I had personal ties to the city of Northampton and Smith College, I found this presentation specifically interesting. But it transcended the specific in portraying the dynamics of place and the folks who give the place its character. The writing and characterization makes this book a...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Apr 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 01 10:52:45 -0800 2009 Thu May 07 15:06:53 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 04 06:27:19 -0700 2008 Wed Jun 04 06:41:22 -0700 2008
Home Town is a non-fiction about a small town in New England. Mostly following a local cop, you learn about the more colorful residents of Northampton, Massachusett...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 06:56:43 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 27 06:56:43 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Sep 30 13:55:53 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 14:00:25 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Jul 14 00:00:00 -0700 2003 Wed Aug 12 14:07:43 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 12 14:09:51 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Jun 26 19:30:11 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 26 19:32:55 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 25 13:26:14 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 13:26:32 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jul 26 11:58:36 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 11:59:09 -0700 2009