When you grow up in a town or a city, you can be too close to see it's redeeming qualities and you might fail to see the humour in where you live, the romance. Other places, even other times, seem more compelling, more idealistic. It's those ideas that are at the heart of the novel, "Molly of the Mall - Literary Lass & Purveyor of Fine Footwear" (NeWest Press). The book follows Molly MacGregor as she works a day job at a shoe store in the mall, and on to her university career. The book has found the funny in these places, to the point that it's been shortlisted for the 73rd Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. To hear more about the book, Russell reached out to its Edmonton-born author, Heidi Jacobs.