"This collection of about forty short (500-1500 word) essays provides a heartfelt and humorous glimpse into life in the Chippewa Valley. Most of the essays feature Patti-who grew up in Chippewa Falls and now lives on Lake Hallie just outside Eau Claire-and her family, particularly her parents, husband, and best friend since high school. Some of the strongest essays follow Patti's mother and father through their separate illnesses and deaths. Others read more like profiles of Patti's neighbors and other local characters, from bartenders to ice fishermen to gravestone cutters. Taken as a whole, the essays braid together bits of history about Chippewa Falls and Lake Hallie, family memories, nature observations, and Patti's reflections on friendship, marriage, parenthood, and community"--
