It is sometimes difficult to tell if Richard Russo's intent with Empire Falls is to describe the human condition in a story about the fate of a small town in Maine or to describe a small Maine town in a story about the human condition. In any event, Empire Falls is a once-prosperous industrial town ruled by four generations of the wealthy Whiting family. Empire Falls has fallen victim to a cheap international labor market with greed on both sides of the labor-negotiating table. Miles Roby, the central contemporary character, is the manager of the Empire Grill with his brother David. Miles has worked at the diner since he was in high school. David is a recovering alcoholic who sobered up after crashing his truck destroying one of his arms and rendering it useless. Mrs. Whiting,.....
