Welcome to New Auburn, Wisconsin, 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. Against a backdrop of fires and tangled wrecks, bar fights and smelt feeds, Population: 485 is a comic and sometimes heartbreaking true tale leavened with quieter meditations on an overlooked America.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Worth the time to visit
In many ways this book deserves the highest praise: well written, thought provoking, and in some cases very funny. Yet at times seemed justified for an average rating because it did seem to drag and Mr. ... Read More
Rating: - Country Bumpkin
Michael Perry's every page drips with humor, intrigue, and dexterity. He is truly a master of words! His simple country bumpkin way of life stands juxtaposed to his extreme intellect--a beautiful combination ... Read More
Rating: - A Heartfelt Portrait of Small-Town Life
Since reading this book, Michael Perry has quickly become one of my favorite authors. His writing style is humorous but at the same time heartfelt and sincere. Population 485 is about Michael's return to his ... Read More
Rating: - Much more than I'd expected
From the little I'd read about this book, I expected some warm, perhaps funny vignettes about life in a rural town. This book is much more! It's laugh-out-loud funny: I read several passages to my family. It ... Read More
Rating: - Delightful
MIchael Perry is a good writer. Any reader will feel instantly at home and comfortable reading one of his books. Population 485 accurately describes life in a small town. People know and care for each other. ... Read More
- Worth the time to visit
- Country Bumpkin