If you get sort of lost in which character is speaking, it doesn't matter too much. These mid-Western friends prove their home-town, rugged individuality through the realisation of their interdependence. But the extremity of their experiences along the way give you enough pause to reflect on the ultimate meaning of 'home'.
My whole life, thirty-three years, and it feels like I've never been without friends. They've always been around, always been there. And maybe my life, our lives, have been richer for it. Ronny babysitting the kids, or, hell, the days when Lee would come over and play guitar for my daughter, showing her chords, placing her little fingers in the right places. My dad never had that. As kids, we didn't have that.
