Shotgun Lovesongs

Told from alternating viewpoints, this full-cast audio brings Butler's portrait of male friendship in rural Little Wing, WI, to life. Henry, Lee, Kip, and Ronny grew up together and then went their separate ways. Farmer Henry is tied to the land, but Lee has become a famous musician. Kip is a successful commodities trader, and Ronny is riding high as a rodeo star. But they are inexorably bound and one by one are drawn home for reasons that include serious injury and a failed marriage. The women surrounding these men cannot totally understand or enter this male camaraderie. Even Beth, Henry's wife, who is important to each of these men and is as tied to Little Wing as any of them, marvels at and envies their connection. Sure, there is conflict, culture clash, even heartbreak among them, but the ties that bind are strong, and their friendship will endure. Narrators Ari Fliakos, Maggie Hoffman, Scott Shepherd, Scott Sowers, and Gary Wilmes do an excellent job of portraying the various characters.