The story of writer Christopher Ingraham’s decision to uproot his life and move his family to Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, population 1,400—the community he made famous as "the worst place to live in America” in a story he wrote for the Washington Post.
Even through the challenges, Ingraham mostly writes fondly of his new home, while poking gentle fun at his citified self as he settles in to what turns out to be the absolute best place to live in America, for his family.
Ingraham writes with humor and insight ... charming ... Ingraham’s account of this somewhat spontaneous relocation to the frozen prairie is nuanced, leavened with tongue-in-cheek infographics and thoughtful ruminations on place ... He jabs at his fellow coastal reporters and plays for fish-out-of-water laughs when killing his first deer...But he avoids Northern Exposure–type pandering and zeroes in on the appeal of 'a quiet working-class normalcy' in a town whose residents view Minneapolis as a 'far-off urban hellscape.' This unpredictable look at the intimacy to be found in rural regions will enchant urban dwellers.
Throughout, Ingraham writes with the conviction of one who has found—as least for him—tranquility and truth ... A simple, warmhearted celebration of small-town living.
