This book is a delightful story that captures the essence of small-town life and the complexities of personal redemption. The author beautifully portrays Sid's struggle to find his place after a major setback, making his desperation to leave behind his cooking career and return to Brooklyn all the more relatable. The intertwining of heart and tradition, alongside themes of exploitation and greed, adds depth to the narrative. The unique storytelling format—using diary entries, town paper clippings, emails, and school notes—creates an immersive experience that draws readers into the lives of the characters and the heartbeat of the town. This heartwarming novel reminds us that sometimes, finding our way back home means embracing the unexpected and the imperfect.

This book is a must-read for those who appreciate stories of hope, renewal, and the beauty of small-town life.

A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz is a beautifully written novel that draws you in with its rich atmosphere and compelling characters. The small-town setting is vividly described, almost feeling like a character itself, and the story expertly balances mystery and emotion. While a few moments felt slower-paced, the depth of the narrative and the poignant themes more than made up for it. It’s a thoughtful and engrossing read that lingers in your mind long after you finish.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC! I was intrigued by the premise but reeled in by the epistolary novel aspect - l'm a sucker for an epistolary novel. This book was so well-done. All of the characters were fully developed and the letters, emails, and newspaper excerpts were so satisfying in terms of pulling the story together. This small town story feels timeless and yet modern, unfortunately, struggle is universal and much of the divide here mirrors what we see today. Although some of the themes aren't comforting, this book truly was. I absolutely loved it! The food descriptions were also so interesting! I would have loved recipes!

While I love epistolary novels, it took me a few pages to be sucked into the story. This is a great novel about a dying small town and how a few people can change its trajectory. It's a story about believing in and forgiving yourself. It's also about learning to trust others. I loved the quirky town and the even quirkier characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an ARC of this book.

I throughly enjoyed this book. It brought to mind a Fannie Flagg novel with the small town setting and community.
I enjoyed Disco's portrayal a very strong character. She was my favorite from the story.

What a heartwarming story. Written the epistalry style the reader gets to know the Solving family from Brooklyn who have relocated to the small town of Goodnight, Kansas to start life over after a disastrous business failure. You'll come to know Disco Kennedy, a glitter covered girl obsessed with country music and a headstrong as a person can be. You'll read the story through emails, newspaper articles, letters and so forth. I a hard time believing anyone would read this and not feel a soft spot for one of these folks, nor do I believe you could read this without quite a few chuckle. I have now added Goodnight, Kansas to the fictional towns in want to visit.

I do think the book was a tad longer than it needed to be, but I still could not put it down.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This is my first time reading an epistolary-style novel. It took me longer than I cared to determine who was who and each character's perspective. If you are accustomed to this style, you will have no problem. The story itself is heartwarming. A small town cosy read. I found myself chuckling out loud in some moments and taking big breaths to not get teary-eyed in others. I had several unanswered questions, which may have been the author's deliberate choice but without giving away spoilers, I think a couple of the revealing moments could have been flushed out further. An enjoyable read. Highly recommend to Book Clubs. Thank you Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think an epistolary novel is my favorite type to read. This consists of newspaper clippings, emails (book set in 2002), handwritten notes passed in school and put into a bottle floating down a river.

Goodnight, Kansas (doesn't really) welcome a family of 3 New Yorkers to their little town. The mom grew up here and ran and her sisters find it hard to forgive. The dad failed the legacy of his family's deli and resolved to never cook again.

These outsiders will become involved in the town through a diner, a hotel and by bringing down a tire company that's polluting a lake.

My favorite parts of this book were the alpacas that live in the New Yorker's house, yes the house. Also, the wind chimes that keep going missing and the goats.

This was a fun book to read - it would make a great movie or mini-series. The townsfolk are all interesting and it'd be fun to continue their stories.

Brooklyn based chef Sid Solvang and his family start turning heads the minute they move into Goodnight, Kansas. His wife inherits her family home after her father passes away - to the disagreement of her estranged sisters. Sid is trying to find any way to get his family back home, when he decides to purchase the town diner.

The story is told in emails, letters and newspaper articles - it took a bit to figure everyone out to know who was writing each part. But it's a fun way to tell the story. I loved the characters, the townsfolk's love for their community and how they all pull together. There is a lot going on in this book, but I enjoyed it all.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I loved this epistolary novel about a family who relocates from Brooklyn to a small Kansas town. Sid Solvang is an accomplished chef whose career in Brooklyn takes a negative turn. He relocates with his wife and daughter back to his wife’s hometown of Goodnight, Kansas. Despite planning to lay low, lick his wounds and plan a return to New York, Sid soon finds himself becoming entangled with the town, its secrets, and its quirky residents. I loved all the town characters as well as the epistolary storytelling style that gives insight into many of their lives. This is an entertaining, funny, and thoughtful debut and I look forward to more from this author.

A cozy, kind of wintery read about hometown, small town, passion, community, and food. To be honest I was skeptical at first even though I love epistolary novels, because of how informal the emails (and email addresses) are. But then I realized this story is set in 2001 when emails are today's Whatsapp, a common form of online communication from sharing gossips to recipes. There are also newspaper columns, handwritten letters, and other transcripts that serve as plot and characterization vehicle. I had a good time spending some evening with Sid, Harlem, Disco, and Bailey at May Day diner, hoping to taste some of Sid or Scarlet's creations.

Although Sid is the central character, I'd like to know if the story is told from Scarlet's perspective since Goodnight is her hometown. And although the main plot is already entertaining, it may be too cozy on its own without the random mystery subplots like the missing wind chimes, anonymous editor of Goodnight Star, and Disco's Uncle Casey. So those elements helped a lot to keep my interest. just wanted to flip the page until I discovered who took those wind chimes 🤣 and the answer didn't disappoint!

"A Town with Half the Lights On" is more than just a chain of emails circulating inside an invisible town in Kansas; it's a warm, powerful bowl of found family soup. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an ARC of this book.

This book was really amazing. This is one of those books you can't Stop thinking about Even after finishing them for a long long time.

I absolutely loved this book! Told in epistolary format, a series of emails, text messages, journals and newsletter entries. There are multiple voices and multiple perspectives. Even without a narrator, you'll get a full sense of each character without ever reading an actual description. The pacing is perfect, the sense of place is so well described. The lake, the barn, the diner...all of them are fully formed in my imagination based on the communication between the characters. Be sure to read this book. Its heartfelt and so uplifting!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing me with a copy of A Town with Half the Lights On by @pagegetzwriter in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading an epistolary novel, and I'll admit I was initially confused, as I didn't fully read the description beforehand. It took me a while to grasp the format, which affected my enjoyment at first. However, once I understood the structure, I found the story much more engaging and enjoyable.

Set in the small town of Goodnight, Kansas, this novel tells the story of Scarlett and her family—Sid and Harlem—returning to a community that feels both familiar and alien. The small-town dynamics are portrayed realistically, with the residents being initially wary of outsiders, which added to the authenticity of the narrative.

The heart of the story lies in Sid’s journey to save the town, rediscover his passion for life, and the evolving friendship between Harlem and Disco. Their bond is one of the more heartwarming aspects of the novel, providing a sense of hope amid the town's challenges. The novel blends themes of small-town life, friendship, corruption, and religion, which makes it stand out from typical reads.

While the style wasn’t quite to my personal taste, I can still appreciate the book’s unique narrative and the way it explored its themes. I would recommend this to readers looking for something different, particularly those interested in epistolary novels or stories about small-town life with complex, layered characters.

The title alone caught my attention. A Town with Half the Lights On is exactly like what it sounds. When the Solvang family shows up in small town Nebraska after their New York restaurant went under they're looking for a fresh start, what they find is a surprise. A small farm with alpacas that prefer to roam the house, a tire factory as the primary employer, and a wind chime thief that is the constant topic of the town paper. While the intention for the Solvang chefs and their daughter was to lay low and get enough money to move back to New York, but what they find is a town that needs them as much as they need the town.

I anticipated loving this story before I even started it, but I never expected just how heartwarming it would be. One thing that is unique and took a little getting used to (although I loved it by the end) is that this is an epistolary novel, meaning it is written entirely in the form of emails, letters, and news articles which gives readers the ability to meet and read from the perspective of different characters without heavy character development. Overall this book includes family relationships, existing in a small town and the community that comes with it, found family, and resilience. In a couple works I would describe the book as quaint, heartwarming, quirky and impactful. A great example of the concerns and attitudes that influence rural small towns, especially for people who have grown up in urban/suburban spaces.

I would recommend this book to people who love the tv show The Bear, and books: Lula Deans Little Library of Banned Books and When No One is Watching.

This review has been posted on Goodreads and will be posted and updated on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and Target closer to publication day.

The epistolary style of writing was extremely interesting and the key message of home is where the people whom we love and cherish live was beautifully conveyed. It actually took me to a time wherein emails where extremely popular and informal way to stay in touch while there days we prefer it for only formal communication. The book touched very beautifully the nostalgia of home and I enjoyed it a lot

I struggled initially with this book in terms of working out who all the characters were but once I got into it it was such a comforting and cosy read!

I loved the small town vibes and I would definitely recommend to people who love epistolary novels. I enjoyed the balance between the descriptions and world building with learning to know the characters more.

When I started this book, I thought it was simply a cozy read with little heft about a small town. By the time I finished, I was fully obsessed with the heavy themes of what it means to be a citizen, greed in corporations, and the idea that mistakes and failures lead to opportunity and finding new dreams. I LOVED this book and the characters and the way it is written in newspaper articles, emails, and journal entries. It interweaved cozy, thought provoking, mystery, and generational trauma beautifully.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC!

It took me quite a while to figure out who all of the characters were. but once I did, I absolutely loved it. This story is full of heart and what really matters.

I loved this book so much! Harlem and Discos friendship had my heart feeling warm from the very beginning and i loved seeing Sal’s development and him getting over his phobia and opening up to neighbours. this book was very well written and i thought it had a very unique writing style which i think many people will enjoy. amazing 5/5