A thoroughly quirky novel that combines the perspectives of most of the small town it is set in, A Town with Half the Lights On is an interesting read. It is unique in its execution and holds the readers attention.

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

It’s been such a long time since I felt so completely invested in a story. My first thought after finishing this book was simply: five stars don't even begin to do it justice.

It combines so many of my favorite elements—an epistolary format + a found family + a charming small-town setting + and a cast of lovable characters. I especially loved how the story gave attention to the main family as well as the many of the side characters. I felt so immersed in the story of each individual.

The novel is told entirely through letters, emails, diary entries, local newspaper columns, notes passed between teenagers, school reports, and more. Since I listened to the audiobook version, it was a bit confusing at first to keep track of everything and everyone, but I soon got the hang of it. That said, I do think this is a book that would shine even more if read in physical or ebook format.

At its heart, the story follows the Solvang family, who move from New York to the small town of Goodnight, Kansas, after facing a personal misfortune. Goodnight is a close knit town full of eccentric charm. Together with some townsfolk, the Solvangs set out to save the beloved local diner, protect the spirit of their community, and stand against the looming threat of corporate greed from a large tire factory. You will meet their three alpacas, go on a treasure hunt with two teenagers and read the Town's newspaper which is written anonymously by the townsfolk only.

This one is so underrated with only just 138 ratings on Goodreads and I haven’t seen many people talking about it, even though it has only recently been released. It definitely deserves a lot more love and attention!

It was such a wholesome and beautiful read; I loved it to pieces. This book felt like a long comforting hug and one I will come back to again and again.


Thank you so much to @netgalley and @tantoraudio for providing me with a review copy of this beautiful book.

A town is boosted by a few plucky residents who come as outsiders but become family. I enjoyed the story of these caring and determined people who help to raise up those around them and make sure credit goes to all.

My issues with the book stem from the format, but only because it didn’t translate well into audio. The fact that the entire book is compromised of found media is great, but that really hindered the flow of the narration. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d had a physical or digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Happiest of Pub Dates to @page_getz_ for the delightful 𝑨 𝑻𝑶𝑾𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑯𝑨𝑳𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 𝑶𝑵 #gifted from Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and @tantoraudio via @netgalley.

I was so thrilled to hear that Page Getz was going to be here at @watermarkbooksandcafe for her launch! I feel so fortunate. Hearing more from an author about their book gives so much richness to a story, and this was no different.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of the New Yorkers thrust into this small Kansas town of Goodnight due to crisis and then find a crisis in the town with which they can help. Sid, Scarlet, & their daughter Harlem meet some amazing people in this town, not least of which is Disco, the girl Harlem's age, whom everyone has written off.

There is a comfort read quality to this community story that feels both nostalgic and hopeful. It also addresses very real issues that small towns must face with big business and job insecurity. It comes about in a cozy way, but this story goes deeper in several themes with just the right amount of humor.

I did listen a bit, and the narrator, Hillary Huber did a great job, but I do think the physical format needs to be read due to the epistolary nature. There are all sorts of writing forms used which added so much to this story, but it was harder to listen without seeing the words and the way in which it was printed. I am so glad I had both! It made for a truly lovely reading experience.

I definitely recommend this second-chance story for all of us who need some hope!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*
*mild to medium spoilers ahead*

You've been warned. Now, to the review.

I'll admit. When I first started this book, I didn't think I was going to enjoy it. The whole thing is told in a "collection of correspondence" style -- emails, letters, newspaper articles, journal entries, handwritten notes, etc. After the first few instances of this, I thought, "Nope. This is going to bug the snot out of me." (Also, I'd like to note that I listened to this in audio format. It might not seem nearly as irritating or hard to follow if you're reading it on the page. But starting a brand-new book and having a bunch of "From: Name soandso@domainname.com To Name differentsoandso@differentdomainname.com" come at you in audio format was not a great way to start. If I had it to do over again, I'd definitely read it instead of listening to it.)

Anyway.

I'd received the book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so I was determined to finish it.

Imagine my surprise when, after getting used to the "found document" format, I started to actually enjoy it! It's a very "feel good" story with a somewhat predictable plot, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable. I loved the character of Disco (a young "weird" girl who loves country music and just doesn't fit in with her entire town) immediately, and that love spread to the rest of the book.

The basic premise is that a family of New Yorkers moves to a small town in Goodnight, Kansas. The patriarch, Sid, was a fantastic chef, but he ran his father's historic diner into the ground with his "new" ideas and has vowed never to cook again. The family is broke and has nothing but an inherited farm in Kansas. The town is small and dying, losing their beloved May Day Diner, and being kept afloat by a single business -- a tire-making factory that may or may not be poisoning in the town's water supply.

There are side plots, of course.

One involves Harlem, the daughter (also weird and very New York), trying to fit in in the small town and wanting desperately to head back to New York and the only life she's ever known. She, of course, befriends Disco, and that relationship is a budding light in the darkness for her.

Another involves the mother of the family coming home, much to the dismay and disdain of her three sisters whom she hasn't really spoken to since she fled Kansas for New York as a teenager. She now has to navigate living in her hometown with sisters who aren't ready to forgive her for abandoning them.

A third side plot involves the mother's deceased father (Harlem's grandfather) who left the land/farm to them. Harlem is convinced that he has buried treasure somewhere on the land. She and Disco set out to find it so she can help Disco save the diner she loves so much and get her own family home to New York.

In distinct Hallmark movie fashion, the dad decides to take saving the town's beloved diner (though he isn't ready to cook in it -- he leaves that to his wife). And when Harlem and Disco finally find the "buried treasure," it isn't at all what they thought it would be. Instead of treasure, it's a dangerous secret that could turn the whole town against the new family -- even after they manage to save and revive the diner.

More than that I will not say. I don't want to get into major spoilers, and if you want to know what happens from there -- well -- that's why the author wrote the book!

It's a sweet, albeit formulaic, story of friendships, family, and the definition of "home" not always being what we think it is. It had a nice, steady pace, and though I never did get used to the litany of email addresses being read aloud, you quickly get used to the style.

If you like heartwarming tales of small communities coming together to save themselves, you'll enjoy this one. Though again, I definitely recommend reading it instead of listening to it in audio format. I think the writing style will be far less jarring that way.

A Town with Half the Lights On is a bit Fried Green Tomatoes (cozy, tight-knit small town vibes) and a tad Erin Brockovich (environmental hazards). A couple and their daughter have just moved to Goodnight, Kansas, from New York, both to claim their inheritance, but also to get their lives back on track in hopes of returning to New York soon. There is just something about Goodnight, though. The residents are charming. The town is quaint. There's a cafe set for demolition that seems worth saving. The story is told through text messages, emails, newspaper articles, and more, so it sounded right up my alley. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one either in ebook or audiobook format.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for review copies of the ebook and audiobook versions of A Town with Half the Lights On.

Thank you sourcebooks for my audiobook - just not for me. Disconnected and disinterested - almost dnf but finished it out

This lovely little epistolary novel tells the story of the town of Goodnight, Kansas - a failing town whose main industry is the tire factory. The Solvang family has run to Goodnight from Brooklyn because the wife Scarlet, inherited her father’s land and her husband Sid, needed to leave Brooklyn. Once they are in Kansas, Sid sees the need to save the May Day Diner - a Goodnight institution. Sid, Scarlet and their daughter Harlem are just hoping to get the May Day successful enough so that they can go back to Brooklyn, but the May Day becomes the heart of Goodnight; and then the town asks them to save the Hallelujah - the town’s dilapidated hotel. While the Solvangs are helping the town in many ways, there are still those who see them as outsiders and do not want to accept them. Then everyone’s tire factory are put into jeopardy and the town needs to figure out what kind of place and people they want to be.


It took me a bit to get into this book but I do think it’s because I was listening to the audio - I had thought since it was an epistolary novel that the audio would work well, but I preferred to read this one because the notes/emails/articles were so short and from many different characters that it became very confusing. This was such a sweet novel and once I picked up the book I found it hard to put it down. I had read a bunch of wonderful reviews of this one so I ran to request and I am so happy I did, this one left me with such a nice happy feeling. In addition there is a lot of food and cooking in it (including Jewish cooking) so I was sold! This had a little Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books and a little A Wonderful life feel to it.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ALC

running with it though.

I loved the cozy small town vibe, the sniping back and forth and the gossip that travelled via email, the town paper and passed notes. What I loved even more was when the whole town eventually rally together and learn to love one another, differences and all.

I enjoyed the narration a lot, Hilary Huber done a great job, but as I mentioned I did find it jarring for around the first 30% and definitely feel I’d have been able to rate a print copy higher, had that been a possibility.

Huge thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley fir the opportunity to review the ALC 🎧

Special mention to the indigestion that has me awake at 3am writing this review 😨

Oh Kansas, how I occasionally miss thee.

For reals though. There is something about the Midwest. The people are nicer, life is slower and some of the more important things are valued. Not saying that they aren’t in other places but having lived in some of the busiest metros/areas in the country and also several places in the Midwest, I feel I can state this. There is something different about it, something that the Solvang family is about to discover…

Moving from a demanding, busy and exciting metro to the calmer lifestyle of the Midwest can be a culture shock. Trying to settle in, by a diner, solve mysteries, meet amazing people who become like family (everyone needs that odd quirky girl…she is the best) and some amazing comfort food.
But during a time when a down on their luck family move to a down on their luck town, what else is to happen besides making a difference. The secrets, the love, the happiness and experiences will have you cheering for a well rounded ending.

Loved Kitchens of the Great Midwest? The movie the spitfire grill? This is for you.

Found family, epistolary storytelling & cozy warm fuzzy vibes alert. ✨✨✨✨✨

A Town with Half the Lights on from Page Getz was the book I didn’t know I needed. It is indeed a warm hug in book form.

Thank you @tantoraudio @bookmarked for the review copies of this delightful and gently subversive read. I read it in one day and with the hectic pace of life… that’s a big deal for me.

I don’t want to spoil this one. It’s a story of people down on their luck but full of love and hope and the kind of beautifully stubborn determined spirit that makes me a little misty eyed. The way the story is told through emails and shared notes and a delightfully charming local newspaper allows a range of voices to shine through and lets the local small town vibe wash over you as a reader.

Come for the charm… and stay to cheer on Harlem and Disco and Sid and Scarlet. You’ll leave wanting a biscuit and soup that makes you cry.

A family is uprooted and lands in Goodnight, Kansas , a tiny town full of big personalities and a huge secret.

The story unfolds in letters, emails, and submissions to the town newspaper. The town’s inner workings are revealed as the narrator reads us messages between loved ones, open letters, and complaints. It’s a really unique way to tell a story!

The plot itself is cute- very uplifting and heartwarming. The story of the characters coming together to address an issue is sweet and optimistic and a lovely distraction from this reader’s stresses.

There are also themes of David vs. Goliath (in this case, factory workers vs The Big Corporation), local politics, big city vs. small town, environmental issues, family secrets, mutual aid and collectivism - plus an old-fashioned diner and some out-of-control alpacas.

Audiobook narration was great- the letters and e-mails come from a lot of different characters, and each one is narrated in a distinct voice. I especially loved the voices used for the teenagers and for Disco’s mom - these characters’ tone and cadence stuck with me.

Thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley, who provided an advanced reader copy at no cost, in exchange for my honest review.

What with the unrelenting and wallet-meltingly expensive nonsense that is life in 2025, we’re going to need more books that make us feel good for at least a short time. (That is, unless you’re pals with a billionaire and can take an 11-minute space trip for the feminism and aesthetic of it all. I’m going to take a punt and reckon that that’s not more than, say, 5% of my readership, and in that case:) I’ve got the very book recommendation you were needing.

Sometimes you know within minutes of starting a book that it’s going to be a good yin. Actually, I reckoned I was going to like it from just the title, cover and blurb, but by the end of the first few paragraphs I was. All. In.

The Solvang family - Sid, Scarlet and teenaged Harlem - are rolling into the town of Goodnight, Kansas. It’s Scarlet’s home town, but she’s not been back here for 20 years (why? Hang on a bit). The family have lost everything following the collapse of the New York deli business that had been in Sid’s family for generations. Forced to sell up and move with what little they have left, they are retreating to Scarlet’s family home in the wake of her father’s death to lick their wounds.

They quickly realise that Goodnight is a town in the midst of crises big and small, and their early skirmishes with locals (and the refusal of Scarlet’s family to talk to them at all) only reaffirms their determination to get back to Brooklyn as soon as they possibly can. That will need money though, and cash is in short supply. Along with her new friend Disco, Harlem embarks on a quest to find out whether her grandad really did leave behind a hidden fortune - or is the secret something more sinister?

Meanwhile, there’s been another round of layoffs at the Goodnight American Tyre Company, the only show in town when it comes to employment opportunities. No one is about to challenge their horrible workplace conditions or try to unionise again, not when it’s already hard enough to get food on the table.

The whole book is told in emails, notes, letters in the local newspaper, and even some police reports. The style took a little getting used to, but I quickly found the rhythm and ultimately I loved it. The interplays between characters were brilliant, and the pace kept up the whole way through. Each character had such a distinctive vocabulary and tone, and the audiobook narrator captured this well. Not every author can convey such a variety of characters in such short order, but Getz uses some really clever tools to get us up to speed, without bludgeoning us around the head with backstory. Even each person’s email address provides a snapshot of their essential id (torturedsol, lostblue, revelationsevenfold, omwardbound, brooklyncalling…)

And oh, such characters! Disco, the yodelling, glitter-loving country music fan shunned by her classmates. Sid and Scarlet, reeling from their change in fortune and who’ve forgotten entirely how to be together. (She hides in the kitchen, he builds endless boxes for birds that never seem to come). Harlem, trying to find her place in this new and unfamiliar environment.

Then the rest of the town! The dastardly mayor, the proud patriots, the down-on-their-luck-just-trying-to-get-bys. The excellent mailman and the actually-decent-pastor and the farmers and police department. This is small town America at its best and worst (the town council are standing by to update the population sign if the family were to stay). In fact, the scenes here will be recognisable to anyone who’s lived in a town small enough to know each others’ business, American or not.

As Sid starts to claw his way out of his fug of failure, opportunities begin to appear and perhaps the Solvang fortunes are about to change. Could the May Day Diner be saved? But opportunities also mean challenges - and not everyone in the town is happy about what they’re trying to do.

The sub-plots and recurring themes in the local paper’s classifieds (wandering goats! experimental menus! missing false teeth! stolen windchimes!) were some of the threads that helped tie together the disparate plotlines.

You could take any number of messages away from A Town with Half the Lights On. The importance of community? The free press? Finding your own path, or standing up to The Man? I’m here for all of it. But the book is also damn funny, and I am ALL about that; it had me laughing into my folded laundry many times.

A Town with Half the Lights On seems to be Getz’s first novel, but it feels much more expansive and assured than many debuts. Purpose, message, mystery and humour? Keep an eye on this author - I predict more great things to come.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for this review copy of A Town with Half the Lights On, provided via Netgalley.

A Town with Half the Lights On stood out to me for its unique storytelling format—told through journal entries, emails, notes, local news clippings, and more. It’s an inventive structure that really brought the town and its residents to life. The characters were also interesting, and the storyline was rich with emotion, mystery, and community ties. I especially appreciated how each character had a unique voice. However, it was at times hard to track which character was being referred to through the email addresses, etc.

While the audiobook format was engaging, it also presented some challenges. It was sometimes difficult to keep track of who was involved in the correspondence and at times, challenging to keep the plot lines and characters involved straight. However, I imagine this may be less of an issue in a print or digital version where it's easier to flip back and reference details.

Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and would recommend this book—especially in a format that allows you to fully absorb the layers of the story. A truly original and vivid read.

Told in emails, newspaper articles and notes written in bottles, 'A Town With Half The Lights On' is a heart-warming tale that felt surprisingly modern, despite being set two decades ago. It gave me the same kind of hopelessly delightful feeling that 'Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books' did - maybe there's just something about small town communities in the American South coming together against capitalism that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

This is such an unexpected novel. I didn't know what I was going to get coming in and I came out with a big smile on my face, which is such a plus. I love novels told in this kind of multimedia format and the characters shone through, even if we weren't really getting to see deeply into their subconsciouses (subconsciousi?). I can imagine that this won't be for everyone, but the food descriptions, the community spirit, the characters? That alone should make you want to pick up this book.

I knocked off a star because really, the conclusion is quite obvious. You know where this is going to go if you've ever seen a romantic comedy or a Hallmark movie. But it's not the destination that makes this book such a great time, it's the journey getting there. I don't know if I have anything more to say than that, but this is the first book I've finished in nearly two weeks and it's pulled me out of something of a slump, so for that it should be truly celebrated. Also kudos to the audiobook narrator Hillary Huber, it was a really fantastic listen.

My thanks to NetGally for an advanced listening book (ARC? ALC? what do we call these?).

Can I just say I loved this book? 

Ok, at first I was confused. I try not to read summaries/etc. prior because sometimes they just spoil the entire discovery part. I expect too much. The confusion came in because we get the whole story via letters, emails, news from their very democratic anonymous paper, letters in root beer bottles going down the stream, notes...and it took me a while listening to train my brain to actually pay attention to who sent it to whom. 

Once I figured that out, I was good! I was in the book: wandering amongst the people of Goodnight. Characters were well-developed and felt real (a big deal for me--it can make or break a book).  There were people I didn't like and then later did like (just like real life whenw e find that intersection).  There were silly little gossipy moments and snarky comments, and it made me think of my own small town.  By the way: that paper would never survive--my little town can barely handle a Facebook group. But I love the idea.

Do I think some actions were rather spectacular? Yes, but isn't that the beauty of fiction? But was it rooted in the real world? Also yes. Nothing magical here. 

This book was a nice little pick-me-up, light, feel-good, root-for-the-good-guys, eff-Big-Tire ride! Highly recommended!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

I really was not expecting to enjoying this as much as I did when I first started listening! The style threw me off at first but once I got used to it I really liked it, and loved the characters. Cute read with just enough going on and real enough characters to hook you!

With thanks to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for this ELC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one a story full of homely cozy comfort feels. Whilst the dialog is done in a way of emails back and forth giving it a different tone to the writing which I enjoyed it seemed to work so well which surprised me because the story itself set in Kansas gives off country feels and I felt more off grid easy living type senses listening to the characters with their culinary skills and family connections. Family isn’t always just the people you are born into it can be the connections you make whilst all working together for a worthwhile cause such as this saving a town! From meditations to cooking they all come together in the most beautiful way truly bringing hope faith and belief into humanity absolutely beautiful audiobook.

Well narrated and easy listening also; found it soothing and well suited having Hilary Huber as the narrator for this particular audiobook.

With best wishes for publication on 22nd April 2025 I’m sure this will do well 📚❤️🙏🏽🎧

My first by this author. The Solvang family of Brooklyn finds themselves in Goodnight, Kansas due to a series of circumstances. They hope it is temporary- they plan on returning to Brooklyn as soon as they are financially able. Jobs are hard to find and they find themselves purchasing the May Day Diner. As they entrench themselves in Goodnight, they find they are less eager to return to Brooklyn. 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. I found it difficult to be invested in this storyline. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.