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Richard Russo, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Empire Falls,” presents his third novel centered around the people of North Bath, New York. The town, previously featured in his 1993 novel “Nobody’s Fool” and its 2016 sequel “Everybody’s Fool,” is on the brink of being absorbed by its more affluent neighbors. As a result, the residents of the small town face significant changes. In the enthralling new book, “Somebody’s Fool” (Knopf), Russo explores themes of community, identity, and transformation.
Check out an excerpt below.
“Somebody’s Fool” by Richard Russo
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Inheritance
The changes were expected to be gradual, but rumors about “next steps” began circulating as soon as North Bath’s annexation to Schuyler Springs was made official. At the end of the school year, North Bath High, the Beryl Peoples Middle School, and one of the town’s elementary schools would close down. The students would then be transported to schools in Schuyler for the following academic year. While these changes were anticipated due to consolidation efforts, their immediacy surprised some. The proponents of annexation had promised incremental changes through natural attrition.
Instead of firing teachers, retirement would be encouraged through incentives. Younger staff members would have the opportunity to apply for positions in the Schuyler unified school district, which would make every effort to accommodate them. The school buildings themselves would be repurposed as county offices. A similar situation would occur with the police department. The current police building and jail would undergo a transformation, while Chief Doug Raymer, who had expressed retirement plans, could potentially take on a new role. The officers could apply for positions within the Schuyler PD and might even retain their old uniforms with a different patch on the left sleeve. Other redundancies would soon follow. With no town council or mayor needed, and trash collection and water services transferred to Schuyler Springs, Bath citizens would experience significant changes.
Naturally, not everyone welcomed this drastic shift. Some believed that annexation would eliminate the only true redundancy, which was the existence of North Bath itself.
Excerpt from “Somebody’s Fool” by Richard Russo, copyright 2023 by Richard Russo. Published by Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
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“Somebody’s Fool” by Richard Russo (Knopf), available in Hardcover, Large Print Paperback, eBook, and Audio formats
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