This epistolary novel set in small town Kansas feels like what would happen if you combined Billie Letts' "The Honk and Holler Opening Soon" with the movie Erin Brokovich. It features very quirky characters living in a small town where everyone knows one another's business. It is SO likeable.

What I wish it had done a little better was clueing the reader into the inner workings of the characters (something that is admittedly challenging in epistolary novels). What happened to Disco before Harlem arrived that made her such an outcast, other than the wild way she dressed? What happened to Disco and Scarlet at the Christian home? What did Scarlet do to get there and now that her sisters know the truth, how do they feel about it? It would have been nice to see Scarlet and Harlem's relationship develop more, and perhaps learn more about the aunts (both in Kansas and New York) that the family is so frequently communicating with? I would have loved to see more of this character development. Without it, this book feels a little unfinished.

I really adored this book! I loved that this book was told through emails, newspaper articles, letters, school notes, diary entries, and more. That charm and detail displayed in the book made it as charming as the story and the small Kansas town. I loved getting to know all the quirky characters in this small town, and I belly laughed more than once!

Thank you NetGalley for my arc.

In short, I loved this book! The Solvang Family find themselves new residents of Goodnight, Kansas, which couldn't be more different from where they came from - Brooklyn, NY. The family is somewhat in crisis after a failed business venture in NY forced them to leave. While they have family in Goodnight, the relationships are fraught. The family needs to figure out what their plan is and how they are going to get back to Brooklyn. While in Goodnight, though, they become involved in the community, developing touching friendships with the residents and the town itself.
A failing diner plays a big role in the story, and the descriptions of food were delicious! I enjoyed the small town vibes, as well as the epistolary style that the book is written in. Overall I felt like this was a hug in a book.

Small town life--when you loved the big city, how can you settle for small town?This story is completely told through newspaper notices, email and flyers. I was a little hesitant at first because I was afraid that the characters wouldn't come alive. Oh my--the author did an exceptional job creating a story about characters that I fell in love with. This is definitely one of those books that the reader will not want to end. I have always loved to read books by Belva Plain, Maeve Binchy, Jan Karon, Fannie Flagg, Billie Letts. I will put a hard copy of this book on my shelf among those authors. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for entrusting me with a complementary digital ARC--5 stars and a book of the year nomination from me. This opinion is honest and my own.

This book had all of the feelings, and I felt so cozy while reading it, despite some heavier topics being addressed. I loved the narration style, which relies only on written communications (emails, newspaper, etc.). The story follows the Solvangs, who are moving from Brooklyn, NY to tiny Goodnight, KS. The setting was extremely vibrant and the characters were well-developed, relatable, and vivid. There are several conflicts being explored, both on a smaller and larger scale, and all are given equal weight. This book has multiple distinct elements: a small town heavily reliant on a tire-manufacturing company, family secrets, misfits, and a local newspaper with an anonymous editor. I loved the growth and arc of just about every character and the emphasis on community. The epistolary nature of the story was easy to follow and entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspiring read with a compelling setting, characters who have a lot to overcome (and do so with a cheerful overtone), and a unique narration style.

If there were ever a book that felt like sitting by a window on a rainy day, wrapped in a quilt with a steaming cup of coffee—this would be it. I honestly can’t put into words how much I loved this story. It’s my first five-star read in a long time, and it completely stole my heart.

The story begins with Sid Solvang, a down-on-his-luck guy who moves to Goodnight, Kansas after his family-run deli in Brooklyn closes. His only goal is to earn enough money to return home—but once he arrives in Goodnight, he unexpectedly gets caught up in the town's charm and chaos, and slowly begins to fall in love with the place.

Told through an incredibly unique format—letters, handwritten notes, journal entries, texts, reports, emails, and newspaper articles—it brought every single character to life so vividly that I felt like I was a resident of Goodnight. And among them, the most lovable of all was Disco Kennedy, a bit crazy but is such a unique yet lovable and unforgettable character.

Overall, this book made me feel cozy, joyful, and a little emotional—but mostly, it left me with that rare warm and peaceful feeling that only the best stories can give.

P.S. Totally bragging here, but I guessed the editor of the Goodnight Star right away. 😌

Thank you, NetGalley and Page Getz for giving me a copy of this book to read.

1,000% YES! I loved this book.

Written in a series of emails, letters, newspaper articles, diary entries, school notes, and more, this was SUCH a fun and clever way to tell a story from many characters' perspectives! It was engaging and uplifting, and I couldn't stop reading it.

A Kansas vs. New York, rural vs. city, passion vs. pride, happiness and health, people and peace sort of book that just lightens your day. 5 STARS

This book was definitely a #bookstagrammademedoit book. I hadn’t heard of it but then so many accounts I follow were talking about how great it was and they were not wrong.
This book tells the story of the Solvang family who move from Brooklyn to Goodnight, Kansas. The story is told in epistolary form, in letters, emails, newspapers articles and even notes sent in class. The redemption of the Solvang family and the town itself is very sweet and the different quirky characters in the town are so much fun to get to know. This is a sweet charming book and very good on audio.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of this book.

A love an epistolary novel!

Page Getz has written a heartfelt story of starting over that delivers complex characters and a setting that we would all love to move to I think. The pacing of the story is pure perfection and unfolds through emails, journal writings, and local newspaper articles.

This is one that people will be talking about and wanting to share with other readers.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC of A Town With Half The Lights On! All opinions in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this one and I think it had a lot to do with the format. I don't know if I would have cared about Midnight, Kansas as much as if it had been written like a normal novel. I loved the miscellaneous reports and clippings that allowed the characters to really show their personalities. A Town with Half the Lights On was just the right amount of mysterious, cozy, and sweet!

4.5 stars rounded up

Told entirely in epistolary form, we meet the Solvangs, dad Sid, mom Scarlet and daughter Harlem, a family forced to leave their beloved Brooklyn for Scarlet's hometown of Goodnight, Kansas after the spectacular and very public failure of chef Sid's restaurant. Goodnight is slowly turning into a ghost town, and the last place the Solvangs want to be. The only thing keeping Goodnight going is the tire plant that employs half the town. When the iconic May Day Diner goes up for sale, everyone worries it will be bought by the local mogul who plans to raze it and build a Burger King in its place. Can the Solvangs save the May Day, themselves, AND Goodnight?

I inhaled this book. A quick and satisfying read with a HEA. Is it realistic? Not really, but it was enjoyable and quirky, and I cared about the characters. I also appreciated how the events in this small town circa the early 2000s echoed what is going on in America today.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Page Getz for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The format was a bit distracting for me. I love a small town coming home story with emotion and this was that but it was just erupt. I liked a more traditional flow, so that did hinder my overall response to the one.

I was genuinely curious to see how this book would approach epistolary storytelling, and I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, it just didn’t click for me. I ended up calling it quits around the 25% mark after several attempts to get into the story. Despite pushing through, I found myself disconnected from both the plot and the characters. While the concept was intriguing, it ultimately fell flat for me.

Well, A Town With The Lights Half On by @page_getz_ stole my heart. What a charming and clever book. It is an epistolary book about a down in their luck family relocating from NYC to a tiny struggling town in Kansas after inheriting a home there. The story is told through emails, journal entries, newspaper articles, texts, letters sent in bottles, all of it. It was funny, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. Just written and put together so brilliantly. Somehow there was a deep character development even told in this format which was pretty amazing to accomplish and meant that I really felt like I knew each and every character. And it made me fall in love with these folks. I really loved it every page and didn’t want it to end

I loved this book!!! First of all, I'm a sucker for epistolary novels, and this one was great! Emails, school reports, newspaper letters, journal entries and more flesh out the characters and the story. The story in a nutshell is about how a small town in Kansas and a family from Brooklyn save each other.

There are enough kooky characters to keep the story fun, enough drama and mystery to keep it engaging, but there's also enough seriousness as the story unfolds to make me wish everybody would read the book. I loved all the characters; they all brought something to the table. I think my favorite character is Disco. She is the embodiment of hope and perserverance, and some great crazy.

I cannot wait to read another book by Page Getz! I have heard this book compared to J. Ryan Stradal, another one of my favorite authors, and I can't say I disagree. Blow this book up, readers!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine and given freely.

Contemporary Fiction | Adult
[cover image]
Tired of thrillers and crime fiction packed with nasty neighbours, deadly boyfriends, and drug-addled troublemakers? With all that’s going on around us, there’s a certain pleasure in losing yourself in a story focused instead on local drama, humour, and oddball charmers – think of Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes, for instance. This brand-new title by Page Getz, an American now living in Vancouver B.C., is a delightful and hilarious tale of small-town living filled with quirky characters suspicious of difference but open to change. When New York chef Sid Solvang fails miserably in a new venture, losing everything, the family slinks back to his wife Scarlet’s hometown, Goodnight, once thriving but now slowly dying in rural Kansas. They’ve inherited a dilapidated Victorian home with, inexplicably, three alpacas. Despite Goodnight’s resistance to “outsiders,” the Solvangs find a way to make a living, and more importantly, make a good life, as they rekindle joy for themselves and in the lives of all they meet. This homage to small-town living is a sweet story filled with heart and humour. Told via email, diary entries, newspaper clippings and more, it appeals to a wide range of readers, including older teens, as the story features two unconventional high schoolers as well as squabbling adults. I’ll be watching for more from Getz as this is her first novel. My thanks to Sourcebooks for the advance reading copy provided digitally through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Oh, and kudos for the terrific cover.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215509879

Book Review: A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I just finished A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz, and honestly, I’m still wrapped up in the warmth of this charming little story. The book takes you to Goodnight, Kansas—a tiny town where more wind chimes hang around than residents, and where people don’t exactly arrive when life is smooth sailing. It’s a place full of heart, quirks, and a fair share of challenges.

The story follows Sid Solvang, a chef who, along with his family, moves from Brooklyn to this sleepy town after inheriting a rundown Victorian house. While Sid is trying to find work and figure out a way back to the city, his daughter dives into mysterious messages left by her grandfather—clues that might just save both their family and the town itself. Things get even more interesting when Sid impulsively buys the May Day Diner, a local icon facing demolition. Alongside a cast of lovable characters—from a rebellious girl named Disco to a gaggle of mischievous alpacas—the Solvang's navigate the complexities of Goodnight’s tight-knit community, its struggles with greed and exploitation, and the meaning of home.

One of the coolest things about this novel is how it’s told through diary entries, emails, school notes, and an anonymous town paper. This format adds so much personality and keeps the story fresh and engaging throughout.

Now, I have to say—first impressions matter, and this book’s cover drew me right in. It’s absolutely delightful and perfectly matched the cozy, charming vibe of the story inside. Epistolary novels can be hit or miss for me, but this one definitely hit the mark. The setting was wonderfully quaint, the humor felt genuine and lighthearted, and the characters were so quirky and endearing that I found myself invested in their lives from start to finish.

If you’re looking for a feel-good read that’s like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket on a chilly day, A Town with Half the Lights On is definitely worth your time. I loved every minute of it—and I think you will too if you give it a chance!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz Goodnight, Kansas...much like Kansas town where I grew up. The author portrays small town life, the good and bad, as well as all its quirky characters quite realistically. Told in a unique style of written newspaper articles, emails, and journal entries which at first was confusing with the different email addresses, however the characters soon came into their own. A cozy mystery and family drama that at times is thought-provoking, heartwarming and has LOL moments. An entertaining and enjoyable read.

Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

A Town with Half the Lights On by @page_getz_
This was a cute story that reminded me of Fannie Flagg’s storytelling.
This book’s story is told from newspaper articles, emails and a journal. It tells the story of Goodnight,KS a little blip of a town that is almost nothing, hence the name. There is a great cast of characters that live in the town and the newcomers that are from Brooklyn. The family from Brooklyn plans to stay there just long enough make enough to go back to NY. However, as with a lot of plans, things begin to change.
I really enjoyed it!
Thank you to @netgalley for the arc. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this!
The epistolary format is so well done!
the small town accuracy and the characters
amazing all around