Rooville: A Novel - Softcover

"Transcendent and down-to-earth all at once, Long has penned an inventive, warm and funny adventure steeped in quirky, very real American history."
--Elise A. Miller, author of Star Craving Mad

"A funny, imaginative look at a small Iowa town and what happens when two worlds and cultures collide, Rooville combines meditation, romance, and small-town politics into an enjoyable debut novel from Julie Long."
--national bestseller Kamy Wicoff, author of Wishful Thinking

"A modern-day tale of Romeo and Juliet with a transcendental twist, Rooville blends fiction with factual tidbits of TM and weather phenomenon to create an enlightening and entertaining story. If you've ever longed to seek the truth by returning to your roots, make Rooville your new mantra!"
--Andee Reilly, author of Satisfaction

"Anyone who has ever longed to go home again will fall madly in love with this us-versus-them, then-versus-now, mindfulness-versus-midwestern love story. Funny, spellbinding, and smart."
--Kristin Bair O'Keeffe, author of The Art of Floating

"Long has created a 'perfect storm' of a novel: a quirky cast of characters, a town divided, a narrative voice that is wise, witty, and warm. You'll fall in love with Rooville."
--Meredith Mileti, author of Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses

"Fast-paced and fun. This heartwarming tale of love and self-discovery is set in a wholly unique locale, with an unexpected hero."
--Kathleen Shoop, author of Love and Other Subjects

"Rooville says as much about the laws of attraction as the principles of yoga. Julie Long's delightful romp will have you "rooting" for Weatherman Owen Martin and the unpredictable storms he faces."
--Brigitte Quinn, author of Anchored

Featured as a top read in Buzzfeed, PopSugar, YourTango, and San Francisco Book Review
TV weatherman Owen Martin is relieved to leave Southern California--the monotonously mild climate and the holistically hip trends--and head home to Iowa, back to the four seasons and the simple life he knew before his father died. But he can't predict the atmospheric pressure awaiting him: The town his family founded has become the center of the Transcendental Meditation movement and host to all things alternative. There are mass meditations and dosha discussions, a vegan cafe has replaced the burger joint, and all the doors now face east. Far worse, however, is what the meditating mayor has planned for the Martin family's farm.
In a town divided between "Regulars" and "Roos" (gurus), Owen is sure where he stands--until he falls for a levitating yogi. Before he knows it, he's caught in a veritable tornado of midwesternness vs. mindfulness. Can he save the farm, get the girl, and reunite the town? Maybe . . . if he's willing to forecast a change in the weather.