Michelle Huffman answers “This book is so well crafted, so well...”

Sarah Butcher asked this question about Hello Beautiful:

This book is so well crafted, so well thought out, and so specific--how then is it possible these sisters are commuting back and forth from Pilsen and Northwestern with such ease? At one point a character even says they've never lived more than 20 minutes apart, but Pilsen to Evanston without a car is at least an hour and a half. This seems like an odd oversight for such a well written book, am I missing something?

Michelle Huffman It bothered me a lot - it is physically impossible to make that commute in anything under 30 minutes under the best conditions. It's not like a little…moreIt bothered me a lot - it is physically impossible to make that commute in anything under 30 minutes under the best conditions. It's not like a little thing either; their proximity both physically and emotionally is a key part of their early adulthood. I get the feeling she doesn't know the Chicago area well at all and nobody who read/edited it did either so nobody caught this.

Frankly, there are many more neighborhood/university combos that would have fit just fine (especially because I don't think she really talks very specifically about any of these places) if she wanted them to be closer but ignoring that commute is so unrealistic. (less)

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