The Town That Shot Itself in the Foot

Four consecutive major hurricanes, a rise in insurance rates, and rapid downfall of the housing market have turned Rachel Wonsark's life upside-down. But where can this outspoken, self-supporting storyteller go? As she was driving to yet another gig, the Miami resident suddenly focused on the serendipitous radio program playing, about a town called Jackson in Michigan. The town became home to Michigan's historic first state prison. Antiquated, closed and replaced by another house of incarceration a few miles north, the old penitentiary is being renovated into a community for artists. Through the Arts, Jackson hopes to erase its prison image and revive from its downfall as a once- thriving industrial town. Rachel leaves sunshine and friends and, along with many talented artists filled with spirit and hope, moves into The Jacktown Art Hatchery, where the motto states: Incubate Your Art and Hatch It Into Your Day Job. Blundering town officials have no idea how to progress with this project and take the dedicated artists on a wild roller coaster ride of promises made and broken. Rachel, combining her talent as a storyteller with her love of history, unwittingly establishes a historic prison tour business that puts Jackson on the state tourism map. With every tour bus rolling in, the town officials grow evermore envious of Rachel's success and how she cleverly revived the town through its prison identity. Reminiscent of a Stephen King novel, the officials plot a coup to take over the tours. What happens as a result is a riveting read. Inspired by actual events, the novel is filled with singular stories ranging from the bizarre to the heartfelt, chilling to outright hilarious -- tales shared by the many who come to "The Hatchery." They linger long after the book is read.