by Nickolas Butler

Hank, Leland, Kip and Ronny were all born and raised in the same Wisconsin town — Little Wing — and are now coming into their own (or not) as husbands and fathers. One of them never left, still farming the family's land that's been tilled for generations. Others did leave, went farther afield to make good, with varying degrees of success; as a rock star, commodities trader, rodeo stud. And seamlessly woven into their patchwork is Beth, whose presence among them—both then and now—fuels the kind of passion one comes to expect of love songs and rivalries.

Now all four are home, in hopes of finding what could be real purchase in the world. The result is a shared memory only half-recreated, riddled with culture clashes between people who desperately wish to see themselves as the unified tribe they remember, but are confronted with how things have, in fact, changed.There is conflict here between longtime buddies, between husbands and wives — told with writing that is, frankly, gut-wrenching, and even heartbreaking. But there is also hope, healing, and at times, even heroism. It is strong, American stuff, not at all afraid of showing that we can be good, too — not just fallible and compromising. Shotgun Lovesongs is a remarkable and uncompromising saga that explores the age-old question of whether or not you can ever truly come home again — and the kind of steely faith and love returning requires.

Great story about a small town, and what happens when you come home again. Told in the first person by all the characters (4 men, 1 woman), with present time and past recollections. It sometimes does get a bit confusing to figure out who is speaking if you leave a chapter in the middle. While I was not a fan of all the characters, I did find that each of them had some endearing moments. The story was not anything that will keep you on the edge of your seat, but just kind of meanders along on the life journeys of the 5 childhood friends. While I did not grow up in a small town, I could appreciate the way the author wrote about it, and the fact that people who do come from small towns, have the same friends for their entire lives. A well written story, it did drag a bit here and there, but that is mostly due to the nature of the plot.

I liked this one, I thought it was a well done story about small town life, and the power of friendship.