Shotgun Lovesongs, Nickolas Butler
Shotgun Lovesongs, Nickolas Butler
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Shotgun Lovesongs
A Novel

Author: Nickolas Butler

Narrator: Scott Shepherd, Ari Fliakos, Maggie Hoffman, Scott Sowers, Gary Wilmes

Unabridged: 9 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/11/2014


Synopsis

Nickolas Butler's bestselling Shotgun Lovesongs ("Impressively original." —New York Times) is that rare work of fiction that evokes a specific time and place, yet movingly describes the universal human condition. A truly remarkable book that, once read, will never be forgotten.

Welcome to Little Wing.

It's a place like hundreds of others, but for four boyhood friends—all born and raised in this small Wisconsin town—it is home. One of them never left, still working the family farm, but the others felt the need to move on. One trades commodities, another took to the rodeo circuit. One of them hit it big as a rock star. And then there's Beth, a woman who has meant something special in each of their lives.

When all of them are brought together for a wedding, Little Wing seems even smaller than before. Lifelong bonds remain strong, but there are stresses—among the friends, between husbands and wives. There will be heartbreak, but there will also be hope, healing, even heroism as these memorable people learn the true meaning of friendship and love.

"Sparkles in every way. A love letter to the open lonely American heartland…A must-read." —People

About Nickolas Butler

NICKOLAS BUTLER was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  His writings have appeared in: Narrative Magazine, Ploughshares, The Kenyon Review Online, The Progressive, The Christian Science Monitor, and elsewhere.  A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, he currently lives in Wisconsin with his wife and their two children. Shotgun Lovesongs is his first novel.

About Scott Shepherd

An actor of both stage and screen, SCOTT SHEPHERD is known for roles in the recent films And So it Goes, Side Effects, and Brief Reunion. He belongs to two major theater groups, The Wooster Group and Elevator Repair Service through which he performs both locally and abroad. Shepherd is widely known for his natural memorization skills after he recited the entirety of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby for a Public Theater production of the show Gatz. 

About Ari Fliakos

Ari Fliakos is an actor with experience in television, radio, film, theater, and voiceovers. His narration of Seth Patrick’s Reviver won an Audie for paranormal fiction. He has narrated Black Site and Tier One Wild by Dalton Fury, as well as Gangster Squad, The Inquisitor, and Shotgun Lovesongs. On screen, he is best-known for his roles in Law & Order, Pills, and Company K.

About Maggie Hoffman

Maggie Hoffman is a founder of the performance collective Radiohole, and the artist-run venue The Collapsable Hole in the West Village. In addition to 25 years of collaborative performance with Radiohole, Maggie is a company member of the theater ensemble Elevator Repair Service.

About Scott Sowers

Scott Sowers has narrated numerous audiobooks, including books by Douglas Preston, Robert Ludlum, John Hart, and Nicholas Sparks. He was named the 2008 Best Voice in Mystery & Suspense by AudioFile magazine. AudioFile also awarded Sowers an Earphones Award for his narration of John Hart’s Down River, writing, “[providing] a bewitching rhythm and pace, expertly capturing and elevating this story of redemption. The combination of Hart and Sowers provides the perfect marriage of prose and voice. Together they enable the book to transcend genre fiction and become something exceptional.”  Sowers is also an accomplished actor of both stage and screen. His theater credits include roles in Inherit the Wind, A Streetcar Named Desire, Bus Stop, and A Few Good Men. His many television credits include guest roles on Law & Order, The Black Donnellys, Six Degrees, All My Children, and the Hallmark Channel’s Season for Miracles. He has also appeared in the films Trust the Man, The Village and The Ten.


Reviews

Goodreads review by JanB on May 28, 2018

My mini review: 2.5 stars, rounded up This is the male version of chick lit..."dude lit"? The book follows a group of childhood friends from their high school years through adulthood in a small town in America's heartland. It was well-written from a technical standpoint but I found myself bored, wantin......more

Goodreads review by Gail on December 20, 2017

As a reader, I'm drawn to books written in Butler's style: plain-spoken language, characters who aren't overly complicated (yet still complex enough to be believable), and a setting so true it becomes an integral element to the plot. In the hands of a writer like Butler, an author who's clearly put......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on May 31, 2014

3.5 stars: There aren’t many novels out there that explore male friendships, as there are far more chic-lit books out there. I really enjoyed this novel because I’m a gal who hails from a small town in South Dakota complete with a rodeo grounds, railroad station, farmers, ranchers, and lots of cowbo......more

Goodreads review by Jay on April 24, 2014

Shotgun Lovesongs By Nickolas Butler An Eau Claire author (where I’m from) has hit the BIG time. We’re talking huge here people. Author Nickolas Butler was fought over by high-brow publishing houses and walked away with an amazing contract. Movie rights are sold as well. Why? Because his debut......more

Goodreads review by Greg on December 16, 2013

This is apparently a novel about the musician who is known as Bon Iver. I've heard a few songs by Bon Iver before, but I know very little about him (yeah I know he has a real name, and maybe Bon Iver is the name of the whole project). I'm not a fan. I'm probably not the intended audience for this bo......more


Quotes

“Grabs the listener by the ears and doesn't let go… there's no question that all the narrators connect with the characters' emotional journeys.” —AudioFile Magazine

“Using different narrators for the various characters is a brilliant move. Each is polished and well worth hearing.” —Christian Science Monitor