Kristopher Jansma is a brilliantly talented writer whose work will captivate you from the first page. His unique insight as to what friends mean to one another and what it means to be part of a city in which you never quite belong, but can't bring yourself to leave in Why We Came To The City, will relate to you more than you think!
The novel starts off in December 2008, introducing you to five young friends who are reunited at a posh holiday party five years after their college graduation. The friends toast themselves to the new year ahead- one that holds many surprises in store. The group of five must learn to navigate ever-shifting relationships with the city and with one another, while at the same time trying to pursue their dreams. When one in the group is beset by a rare form of cancer, the group is forced to take a step back and reexamine their aspirations and chart new paths through unexpected losses.
Why We Came To The City is a novel that closely examines family. "I think it's a universal thing that happens in New York and other cites," Jansma explains. "When you go father away form where your roots and family are, you have to make a new family for yourself. When something goes wrong or you have a bad day at work or your apartment is flooding, your friends are the family that you turn to for help. It's a beautiful thing that happens and I've grew so close to the people that I grew up with in the city, and they became like a second family to me!"
Why We Came To The City is a novel that every 20-something must read. It offers readers a honest view of life from an uncertain generation. Each character has unique storylines, which will stay with you long after you finish the book. Jansma's novel is relatable because everyone has been 'stuck' at some point of their life in a city or town in which you never quite belong in, but can't bring yourself to leave. That concept is widely explored in this tender, heartfelt novel, that will leave you thinking about the core five friends long after you finished the book!