Small Town Living: A Coast-to-Coast Guide to People, Places, and Communities

by Erin Austen Abbott

Celebrate the joys of small town life in this stunning, coast-to-coast photographic ode to country stores, main streets, and the inspiring creatives who have embraced life outside the city center. 

"An idyllic celebration of the rural life." —Publishers Weekly

Big changes are taking place in how we live—and what we look for in the place we call home. From remote work options to the pull of wide open spaces and simpler lives, families, couples, and singles alike are looking away from major metropolitan areas and towards small towns. But where to go? How? When? There’s a lot to consider when you’re thinking about making the move to a small town—or just daydreaming about doing so. With the wisdom of an author who has made the move herself, Small Town Living answers these key questions in this sweeping, lushly photographed celebration of living small.

Author and photographer Erin Austen Abbott has traversed the country to find creatives—from aquaculture preservationists to visual artists to entrepreneurs—who have opted for cozy towns over metropolitan bustle. In illuminating interviews and atmospheric photographs Austen Abbott showcases nearly two dozen couples and individuals who have embraced small town life, from the wilds of rural Maine, to the plains of Texas, villages of the Hudson Valley, and breathtaking seascapes of the Pacific Northwest. Woven throughout these regional chapters (East, Midwest, South, and West) are tips and sidebars to help readers begin their own small town journeys—from determining what's really important to you (like proximity to a university or access to hiking trails) to sensitively integrating into the community. A rich appendix showcases dozens of small towns grouped by themes like Small Museums, LGBTQIA+ Friendly, Film Festivals, as well as a list of small towns by state to inspire wanderlust. 

Genres: Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2024

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book out of curiosity. I grew up in a small town and HATED it. I couldn’t wait to get out. Since high school, I have lived in 7 different states. As I get older, I appreciate more the quiet, slower pace of life and the community smaller towns can provide. I enjoyed reading each perspective of every person interviewed for this book. While this book heavily focused on why artists/creatives chose to live in smaller towns, I wish she had included a few stories about families that have never left those small towns in the first place. What about the day laborers, postal workers, teachers, accountants and their perspective on life in a small town? It would have balanced out the book.

[Nathan M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasurable coffee table book, but didn’t quite satisfy as a reading book. Interesting format finding 1 person in each small city town to portray, and there were some nice pictures, but there was also boilerplate advice lists in each section on how to acclimate to small town life that I didn’t find helpful. Would’ve rather seen more focus on the pictures, culture, and personal stories and let readers draw their own conclusions about what personal adaptation might look like.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly interesting, enjoyable coffee table book. Filled with fun pictures of idyllic rural communities. Lots of info provided about specific towns including pros and cons. If you are thinking about moving to a rural community, live in a small town or just want to have fun imagining what your life might be like in a small town-this is the book for you. One of my favorite fall reads.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delight to read and pictures are wonderful!

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I was looking for in this read, it just wasn't there. I had thought perhaps it would have a broader view of livable and easy on the wallet cities and places to live in retirement.

[Madison Hale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This will be a good coffee table book!

[Emily Weathers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gives a continuation of my year’s theme of slowing down and embracing “slow living” as evidenced by yet another of many books read this year.