I've enjoyed all of Stuart McLean's "Vinyl Cafe" stories, but this is a more serious non-fiction account of seven small Canadian towns, their history, their struggles, and their attractions. It's a pleasant, quiet read probably not of much interest to non-Canadians, but it made me want to visit many of these places and spend more time in small towns.

If you're not a particular fan of McLean already or a student of Canadian history and small towns, I would probably recommend starting with a Vinyl Cafe collection instead, though.