Life in a Small Town

The novel demonstrates that residents in a small town are tight-knit with ties to businesses and each other. Everyone knows everything about everybody else in the small town setting of Boyne City, Michigan. Though this can be stifling, it can be beneficial, too.

One positive aspect of the small-town life is that people watch out for each other. Jane has a friend named Jimmy who has a low IQ and tends to make poor decisions. Jane is briefly engaged to a man named Luke. When everyone is going out for an impromptu bachelor party, Jane tells Luke to remind the bartenders to water down Jimmy's drinks. She knows, however, that the reminder is not necessary because “Here in Boyne City, the bartenders would already know” (78).

Later, Jimmy befriends Willard, a stranger in town. The bartender soon tells Jane that Jimmy and Willard...