Steeples is a splendid book.
Wise, engaging, and informative, it provides a wonderful bridge between North Adams as it was and the place we see today. Manning has caught both the spirit and the richly complex character of its past better than anything that has ever been written about the subject. After reading the funny, tragic, and insightful interviews, you may feel that you know these people, almost as if they were your own neighbors. It gives me a real sense of North Adams and of a time that is all but forgotten. I find the interviews very moving.