Empire Falls
Richard Russo
 Set in the small, decaying, and nearly bankrupt town of Empire Falls, Maine, this is the story of Miles Roby, the unassuming manager of the Empire Grill, who has spent his entire life in the town. He has an ex-wife, Janine, who has become a cocky, selfish bachelorette after losing weight and exercising rigorously. This is partly due to encouragement from Walt Comeau, an antagonistic fitness center owner who visits the Empire Grill every day and has moved into Roby's old house by this point. Roby also has a loving teenage daughter nicknamed "Tick" who is dealing with Zack Minty, her cruel ex-boyfriend plus an emotional conflict over her mother's engagement to Walt. In addition, she has a complicated friendship with John Voss, an emotionally disturbed boy at school whose hard-luck story is known all too well around town. The obnoxious jock Zack and his friends constantly bully John. Other important people in Miles' life include his grubby ne'er-do-well father, a rascal who can't resist a handout when it comes his way; his reformed marijuana smoking brother, who is a talented Empire Grill cook; his good-hearted ex-mother-in-law, who owns a bar; the town's wealthiest woman, a condescending matron who owns the Empire Grill; that woman's daughter, who has loved Miles for many years; an attractive waitress, a retiring police chief and a dimwitted police officer, who is Zack's father and has known Miles since childhood. Miles is plagued by flashbacks of his family when he was a child, including a mysterious affair between his mother and a suitor, the details of which might answer some questions Miles has had his entire life.