The city versus country trope is as old as Aesop's fabled mice, yet the debate continues to warrant new narratives. In Jas Hammonds' We Deserve Monuments, the protagonist, Avery Armstrong, puts this very debate to the test when she moves to the small fictional town of Bardell, Georgia. Raised in the cultural mecca of Washington, D.C., Avery views the move as temporary, something to be tolerated for a short period of time until she can get back to the life she knows. Her initial misgivings are not unfounded. Many individuals who are contemplating moving from a diverse city fear that small towns harbor small minds, allowing for insidious racism, discrimination and homophobia to prevail. And while Avery does confront these very issues, she finds the power of friendship and family help her combat them. Small-town life inspires close connections, as she excavates her family history and finds the deep and abiding friendships necessary to navigate coming of age. In fact, halfway through the ...