“Shotgun Lovesongs is as true as an honest day’s work, as serious as a busted heart, as welcoming as a warm home fire burning…”

 

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

A small town in rural Wisconsin is the incubator for the friendship and lives of five friends, Lee, Henry, Ronnie, Kip and Beth. They grew up and, in some cases, away from a small rural town Wisconsin, but always made time to reconnect for those big milestone events. Their friendship is strained when a secret comes to light, forcing them to reevaluate their previously untested trust in one another.

Although it’s a very “Americana” story, two of the characters had left their small town (one to Chicago; and the other tells stories of being on the road all over the world, and then NYC), which was interesting to compare against the two that stayed home. They all aged, matured and had full lives, but they were each different in the way they prioritized things, how they valued things, what they aspired to do.

I found it refreshing to read about healthy friendships of grown men, as well as a positive spin on small town America in the 80’s. There was very little violence, but still, these men are hearty “salt of the earth” guys. They went to church, snubbed people they were angry with, worked hard on their farms, loved their families, and took care of one another. I’d love to find Little Wing, Wisconsin and have a beer with these guys at the VFW some Friday night.

Note: The book is written in alternating chapters by characters. Some readers find this off-putting. I listened to the audiobook production, which makes this style more enjoyable. Each character was narrated by a completely different voice. The narrator for Ronnie’s chapters used a gruff New England accent, which was slightly strange, but overall the audio production was great.

 

Reviewed by:

Kerri Beany Foulks

Added 26th August 2015

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Kerri Beany Foulks