The Edge of Thorns - Chpt 1Chapter 1Virtue: the perfect example of Small Town, USA. Whereas the rest of the country had barreled head first into the 21st century, Virtue still clung to its 19th century charm. That wasn't to say they weren't up to date on the latest technologies; they simply didn't show it off. Hybrids are far more common than horse-drawn carriages these days, but either would look perfectly natural moving between the dozens of mom and pop stores along the main street.One of those mom and pop stores was Sterling & Son, a bookstore that had been in Virtue almost as long as the city itself. Mr. Sterling had inherited the store from his father, and his