Ava knew that people would always form their opinions of small towns, especially in her part of the country, but she took pride in the fact that even the tiniest of towns around where she grew up—compact communities with little more than a grocery, a gas station, and a church—often had a public library, too. It was one of the essentials, like food and fuel, the nourishment of body and mind and soul. No matter how small of a city she lived in, no matter how quiet a life she led, Ava never felt bored or trapped or ignorant. She could travel the globe or travel through history, feel love or hate
...more
