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!

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.

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!

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!

I absolutely enjoyed reading A Town with Half the Lights On. The book was both sad and funny, with a gentle sweetness that was so comforting to read. Its unique epistolary format, told through emails, diary entries, and newspaper articles, kept me fully engaged. The story follows the Solvang family, who relocate from Brooklyn, New York to Goodnight, Kansas after Sid's family deli closes. The small town has strong opinions about outsiders, and the narrative covers a lot of important topics like income disparity, wage stagnation, union busting, bullying, pollution, cover-ups, and corruption.

I loved the diversity of the characters and the breadth of the story. It delves into family drama, the courage to start over, learning from mistakes, and forgiveness. The main theme is about a community overcoming obstacles to achieve greatness. The author's writing style is engaging, making it perfect for book club discussions. Overall, it’s a charming story with different character perspectives that kept me hooked. I highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advance reader copy. This is my honest review.