Bob

Well it's a Richard Russo book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...64841?v=glance

And HBO have made a mini movie on it, got Paul Newman, Ed Harris, Helen Hunt and a whole bundle of others...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0376591/

Being shown at the end of the month...I still haven't read the book yet, but it's nothing like his other novels which are usually really funny...this is a bit more gritty and depressing...but anyway...It shows you what the depressing parts and boonies of maine are really like, old mill towns that close up and stuff....

And it was shot in Skowhegan, next big town to the in-laws 20 mins from there place....claim to fame for the town till this was having the oldest annual summer fair in the US. Lot of the other drab scenes in the show are along the way we take to get here when seeing the folks.