Autumn MacLeod follows the beat of her own off-tempo drummer, hoping no one notices the space her body takes up or the protective walls the girl inside it has built.
 

Growing up plus sized and working poor in Boston’s South Shore taught her that staying quiet, staying small, and staying alone is far safer than risking rejection. An absent father, an emotionally unavailable mother, and vicious middle school mean girls made sure Autumn got the message: her place is in the shadows, never the spotlight.
 

Then she discovers Phish.
 

Their music hits different—quirky, unpredictable, impossible to categorize—just like the crowds of friendly, welcoming kindred spirts who follow the band from show to show, trading live concert tapes and forming connections that feel more like family than anything Autumn has ever known.
 

Then she’s introduced to John Walker.
 

He's a fellow music geek with a mischievous smile, a wanderer’s insatiable curiosity, and an unshakeable belief that Autumn is extraordinary. For the first time in her life, someone sees her—really sees her—and their long-distance romance becomes the song she didn't know she was waiting to hear.
 

Until he disappears with no explanation.
 

Ghosted and heartbroken, Autumn retreats behind those familiar protective walls, losing herself in AOL chat rooms and her growing tape collection. But John’s deafening silence forces her to confront the questions she's been avoiding: Why did she think this time would be different? Why does she keep people at arm’s length? Why is she unworthy of love? When John resurfaces months later, desperate for a second chance, can she risk allowing a breach in the walls that have kept her safe?
 

Set against the backdrop of the 1995-96 Phish tour circuit and featuring chapters titled with songs whose lyrics echo the story, The Strangest of Places is a love letter to the misfits who found themselves in the music—and a reminder that once in a while, the strangest of places lead us exactly where we need to be.