Population: 485

By: Michael Perry

Narrated by: Michael Perry

Mike Perry’s extraordinary and thoughtful account of meeting the people of his small hometown by joining the fire and rescue team was a breakout hit that “swells with unadorned heroism” (USA Today)

Welcome to New Auburn, Wisconsin (population: 485) where the local vigilante is a farmer’s wife armed with a pistol and a Bible, the most senior member of the volunteer fire department is a cross-eyed butcher with one kidney and two ex-wives (both of whom work at the only gas station in town), and the back roads are haunted by the ghosts of children and farmers. Michael Perry loves this place. He grew up here, and now-after a decade away-he has returned.

Unable to polka or repair his own pickup, his farm-boy hands gone soft after years of writing, Mike figures the best way to regain his credibility is to join the volunteer fire department. Against a backdrop of fires and tangled wrecks, bar fights and smelt feeds, he tells a frequently comic tale leavened with moments of heartbreaking delicacy and searing tragedy.

Tracing his calls on a map in the little firehouse, he sees “a dense, benevolent web, spun one frantic zigzag at a time” from which the story of a tiny town emerges.

The perfect perspective!

This author has a great perspective on life for the time frame when this book was written and it applies just as much if not more now. The book is easy to listen to and soothes the soul as well.

Pain and laughs rolled into one beautifully written account of small town life

Wow. I stood over the kitchen sink listening to most of this, crying and chuckling in equal measure. Michael captured what it is to be a human making your way through the elements of living in small town reality with a heart that sees it in poetry. Thank you for this.

Enjoyed

First book read by this author, turns out it was from the area where I grew up so I can attest to the truth of some of the stories. Even had relatives named in it though the actual names were not used. The corner in the second chapter is where my aunt lived. Great humor interjected into a serious story, well done although some might not get the humor in the reality of the story

Touching, heartwarming, and humorous

Michael writes with such vivid imagery that you can almost see the place he describes unfolding before you in real life. I grew up in WI on the opposite side of the state from where he did, yet I felt I was transported back listening to his descriptive words.

Thank You

I grew up on a dairy farm in Missouri and was a 4-H exchange member and lived with a dairy family in Menomonie Wisconsin. I was a Navy Corpsmen in Vietnam and then a nurse and then CRNA. I have never fought fires but have sure done my share of trauma. Mike tells it like it is but much more plainly and eloquently than I ever could. I FELT more than enjoyed your work. Thank you.