Somebody's Fool by Richard Russo

An aging, irrepressibly stubborn man who has spent his life skating by in a dilapidated upstate mill town faces the messy realities of family, old friendships, and changing community fortunes; as he insists on helping and meddling in equal measure, he navigates late-life romance, grudges, and a search for dignity. Wry, compassionate, and sharply observed, the novel captures the humor and heartbreak of small-town life while its protagonist reckons with the past and what it means to belong.

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