Here on Lake Hallie : in praise of barflies, fix-it guys, and other folks in our hometown

In these humorous and heartfelt essays, Patti See celebrates small-town life in Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley. Featuring childhood memories of supper clubs, thrift sales, and cribbage games, as well as the midlife concerns that accompany having a son in the military, a parent with Alzheimer's, and a private onsite septic system, See's writing praises the quirky charm of her hometown and its people. Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s as the youngest of eight children, Patti never imagined she'd stay in Chippewa Falls as an adult. Now, living on rural Lake Hallie just five miles from her childhood home, she has a new appreciation for all that comes with country living, from ice fishing and eagle sightings to pontoon rides and tavern dice. These brief essays—many of which were originally published in the Sawdust Stories column of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram —establish that, above all else, it's friends, family, and other folks in our hometown who provide us with a sense of belonging. "This collection of about forty short (500-1500 word) essays provides a heartfelt and humorous glimpse into life in the Chippewa Valley. Most of the essays feature Patti-who grew up in Chippewa Falls and now lives on Lake Hallie just outside Eau Claire-and her family, particularly her parents, husband, and best friend since high school. Some of the strongest essays follow Patti's mother and father through their separate illnesses and deaths. Others read more like profiles of Patti's neighbors and other local characters, from bartenders to ice fishermen to gravestone cutters. Taken as a whole, the essays braid together bits of history about Chippewa Falls and Lake Hallie, family memories, nature observations, and Patti's reflections on friendship, marriage, parenthood, and community"-- Provided by publisher