This is a fun, informative book written by an anthropologist who turns her discerning lens on herself and the valley where she grew up. This is no dry, academic study, but an intimate, lively dive into a place that thrives.

Diana Hottell, The Whole Damn Valley and Earlier Times

Julie Tate-Libby has a rare talent for melding heart and head. In The Next Best Place she intertwines fiercely personal stories from her own life with small bites of academic research to illuminate the Methow Valley's seismic cultural and economic shifts. What does it mean when a quiet valley that's home to gritty characters working the land and freely roaming the hills evolves into an economically stratified place with newcomers focused on recreation? Tate-Libby takes us beyond the No Trespassing signs in this moving meditation on the meaning of social class and 'home.'

Karen West, Bound for the Methow

Julie writes with clarity and first-hand experience, offering a vivid, heartfelt window into life in rural America. Her story is infused with grit, grace, and humor, capturing the rhythms of a place-of a people-often overlooked. Through her eyes, we witness the complex ripple effects of amenity migration, revealing how even well-intentioned choices can reshape communities in unexpected ways. This is more than a personal journey-it's an invitation to reflect on our own roles in the places we touch. You'll be glad you accepted it.

Don Linnertz, TwispWorks Executive Director (Retired)