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Ahnwee Days
Life is not going as planned for Sybil Voss.
Growing up in a small town on the Great Plains, she had one goal: to get out as soon as she could. She succeeded, moving to New York after college and building a reasonably happy life. But now she’ s back, the sole caregiver for her elderly father who suffers from “ media-induced psychosis” and can only communicate through TV sitcoms. But Sybil’ s making the best of it, running her antique business, “ New York ’ Tiques,” serving as mayor (since no one else ran), and organizing a town festival, Ahnwee Days.
Problem is, things are not going well for her tiny town of Ahnwee. What was once a hopping little city with actual businesses and families ism now slowly becoming a ghost town. The remaining 200 residents have to put up with the insult of a lake so polluted that it glows in the dark, a wind turbine on the edge of town that occasionally golfs cars into the rough, and the ever-present smell of pig shit from the factory hog farm on the hill. How could it get worse? It can and does. The pig farmer says that the land the town sits on is his, and he wants to expand his manure pond. At the same time, a nearby casino may also have a claim to the land, and they want it for an RV park. That's not all: Green Systems Power, a wind turbine factory, wants the town’ s land for parts storage, and they’ ve bought a county commissioner to make it happen.
With her friends, a lonely widowed yarn store owner and a midget— sorry, little person— beef jerky king with anger management issues, Sybil is fighting back. As Sybil says, “ Sure, Ahnwee is just an antique shop, strip joint, and meth lab, but it’ s OUR antique shop, strip joint, and meth lab.” Along the way we meet a mayor of a rival town with unclear motives, a nerdy strip club owner and his “ girls,” and an existential— and suicidal— town pastor. Our heroes hold a town meeting and a press conference, and they appeal to the county board, all with the same result: humorously dismal failure. The only thing left to try is for Sybil to run for, and win, a seat on the county board. How can that fail?
Growing up in a small town on the Great Plains, she had one goal: to get out as soon as she could. She succeeded, moving to New York after college and building a reasonably happy life. But now she’ s back, the sole caregiver for her elderly father who suffers from “ media-induced psychosis” and can only communicate through TV sitcoms. But Sybil’ s making the best of it, running her antique business, “ New York ’ Tiques,” serving as mayor (since no one else ran), and organizing a town festival, Ahnwee Days.
Problem is, things are not going well for her tiny town of Ahnwee. What was once a hopping little city with actual businesses and families ism now slowly becoming a ghost town. The remaining 200 residents have to put up with the insult of a lake so polluted that it glows in the dark, a wind turbine on the edge of town that occasionally golfs cars into the rough, and the ever-present smell of pig shit from the factory hog farm on the hill. How could it get worse? It can and does. The pig farmer says that the land the town sits on is his, and he wants to expand his manure pond. At the same time, a nearby casino may also have a claim to the land, and they want it for an RV park. That's not all: Green Systems Power, a wind turbine factory, wants the town’ s land for parts storage, and they’ ve bought a county commissioner to make it happen.
With her friends, a lonely widowed yarn store owner and a midget— sorry, little person— beef jerky king with anger management issues, Sybil is fighting back. As Sybil says, “ Sure, Ahnwee is just an antique shop, strip joint, and meth lab, but it’ s OUR antique shop, strip joint, and meth lab.” Along the way we meet a mayor of a rival town with unclear motives, a nerdy strip club owner and his “ girls,” and an existential— and suicidal— town pastor. Our heroes hold a town meeting and a press conference, and they appeal to the county board, all with the same result: humorously dismal failure. The only thing left to try is for Sybil to run for, and win, a seat on the county board. How can that fail?
- GenresFiction
293 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2024
4 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 3, 2025
"Every year a few million tourists file down the spotless street buying useless souvenirs in fake barbershops and fake hardware stores so they can roll in nostalgia for a time they never saw and a community they never had. Yet they go home, and instead of building a real one for themselves, they shop at Shopco. You know what I wish? I wish we could have a real town with a real main street again."
Though there is much to be said about the comedy of this novel, there is a much more tragic malaise running through the entire narrative which the comedy is trying to cope with. And though the book is funny, and the characters are heartfelt, by the end this book made me think: perhaps there are some things we can't get back. But also, perhaps there are some things we want back which never really existed. Finally, perhaps there are some things we can change.
There is a yearning in this novel for a bygone era of bustling main streets and little towns, but when I enjoyed most is that, as our main character Sybil freely admits, that era hasn't really existed in generations, and when it DID exist, there were problems then, too.
Sybil remembers her childhood fondly, but the older generation of Ahnwee sees the era of Sybil's childhood still as something paling in comparison to what THEY knew, and when Burleson takes the reader back to Ahnwee's origins, he makes it clear that Ahnwee's whole existence- and indeed, our own- is not so much a product of elegant or intelligent design, but an accident, really, and in many ways, a tragedy. And by the novel's end, the question of where that tragedy begins and how to heal from it is never really answered- outside of, of course, a joke.
And honestly, that works for me. If you're looking for a book that provides a solution to small town deterioration or a blueprint to return to the vibrant small town life of the 200s, or the 90s, or the 80s, or the 70s, or the 60s, or the 50s, or the 40s, or the 30s, or the 20s, or the 10s, or the 1800s or whatever it is you want to go back to- 'Ahnwee Days' will not give that to you, because that answer doesn't really exist. What this novel DOES supply is not so much answer as it is antidote- the antidote to sadness and yearning being absurdity and laughter.
Our hero, Sybil, and her friends try to do everything right, and still fail. One of my favorite parts was when Sybil, while running for County Commissioner, complains that her friends want her to "pander" to the lowest common denominator by wearing camo and that she would rather win her election based on a clear, "rational" message, prompting everyone in the room to burst out laughing. There is no rational explanation for what has happened to our towns or even how they got there- at least, not a rational explanation anyone is going to like, and therefore, there is not an easy or rational solution. The solution Burleson provides is a deus ex machina event which is so absurd it borders on parody, including a truck being flung across town by a windmill and an avalanche of pig shit being parted as if it's the red sea. The characters, and Ahnwee, are not saved by logic or heart or hard work. They're saved by Vonnegut style, post modern absurdism, national attention, and, finally, a tourist boom.
I mention all of this because it is both hard to take seriously and yet incredibly honest. Many small towns where I live (rural Minnesota, raah) have been on the verge of death, only to be saved by tourism. The locals and elderly will complain about the tourism, how it's changing and ruining their town. A guy in my town literally drives around with a piece of cardboard in his windshield that says "go home." And while, yeah, there are sure issues with tourism economy, the fact remains that without tourism, none of our small towns and their charm would exist anymore. The fact also remains that, for the current generation, for the kids and teens, this IS their town, even if it's different. And, someday, when the town changes again, maybe for the better or for the worse, they're going to miss what it was, but what it becomes will be the new foundation for a new generation, and so on.
And yet, fate is often absurd and our destines forged by chance. The creation of Ahnwee is a farce of fate, a joke, really, and so is its resurrection. So too are the great booms and setbacks of the real world often so abstract and removed from our everyday lives that they may as well be a joke or a giant windmill blade smacking our vehicles or a flood of pig shit flooding our yards. As recent real world events have shown us, the average person's grasp of the economy and circumstances which make their lives easy or difficult is so thin it may as well not exist- the places, such as Washington, St. Paul, Ukraine, the Middle East, Canada- so far away they may as well be fantasy, and problems, such as deadly epidemics, climate change, and their consequences so insurmountable we may as well not try fighting them.
But through that ennui Burleson's characters, and therefore readers, still find something. In the great cosmic game of chance and cruelty that is human history, they find a town- they find a dog who sleeps in the middle of the road, they find a life of memories and stores, and they find each other. In the end, fate finds them again, and is kind.
I didn't find the fate of Ahnwee as comforting as maybe I should have. Things work out all right for the town in the end, and I have to believe that things will work out all right for mine, and yours, too. But I did find the way the characters deal with that fate comforting. I found Burleson's prose and humor comforting, and I found it comforting to be reminded that it all doesn't HAVE to be so absurd and hopeless- just that sometimes, it is. Though fate and chance often make things difficult, it is only us, as humans, which make things impossible- and only us, as humans, who can make things easier.
So, this is maybe not the most helpful review. Probabaly no one is looking for a ramble like this. Let me then conclude much more simply:
I recommend this book bigly. It's smart, clever, fun, hilarious, fast, and sweet. It's not terribly complex, but the humor and characters are rich, the story moves along at a great pace, and I really couldn't put it down- I read it all in about two sittings. 'Ahnwee Days' is well worth your time, your money, your heart, and your laughter. Check it out.
Though there is much to be said about the comedy of this novel, there is a much more tragic malaise running through the entire narrative which the comedy is trying to cope with. And though the book is funny, and the characters are heartfelt, by the end this book made me think: perhaps there are some things we can't get back. But also, perhaps there are some things we want back which never really existed. Finally, perhaps there are some things we can change.
There is a yearning in this novel for a bygone era of bustling main streets and little towns, but when I enjoyed most is that, as our main character Sybil freely admits, that era hasn't really existed in generations, and when it DID exist, there were problems then, too.
Sybil remembers her childhood fondly, but the older generation of Ahnwee sees the era of Sybil's childhood still as something paling in comparison to what THEY knew, and when Burleson takes the reader back to Ahnwee's origins, he makes it clear that Ahnwee's whole existence- and indeed, our own- is not so much a product of elegant or intelligent design, but an accident, really, and in many ways, a tragedy. And by the novel's end, the question of where that tragedy begins and how to heal from it is never really answered- outside of, of course, a joke.
And honestly, that works for me. If you're looking for a book that provides a solution to small town deterioration or a blueprint to return to the vibrant small town life of the 200s, or the 90s, or the 80s, or the 70s, or the 60s, or the 50s, or the 40s, or the 30s, or the 20s, or the 10s, or the 1800s or whatever it is you want to go back to- 'Ahnwee Days' will not give that to you, because that answer doesn't really exist. What this novel DOES supply is not so much answer as it is antidote- the antidote to sadness and yearning being absurdity and laughter.
Our hero, Sybil, and her friends try to do everything right, and still fail. One of my favorite parts was when Sybil, while running for County Commissioner, complains that her friends want her to "pander" to the lowest common denominator by wearing camo and that she would rather win her election based on a clear, "rational" message, prompting everyone in the room to burst out laughing. There is no rational explanation for what has happened to our towns or even how they got there- at least, not a rational explanation anyone is going to like, and therefore, there is not an easy or rational solution. The solution Burleson provides is a deus ex machina event which is so absurd it borders on parody, including a truck being flung across town by a windmill and an avalanche of pig shit being parted as if it's the red sea. The characters, and Ahnwee, are not saved by logic or heart or hard work. They're saved by Vonnegut style, post modern absurdism, national attention, and, finally, a tourist boom.
I mention all of this because it is both hard to take seriously and yet incredibly honest. Many small towns where I live (rural Minnesota, raah) have been on the verge of death, only to be saved by tourism. The locals and elderly will complain about the tourism, how it's changing and ruining their town. A guy in my town literally drives around with a piece of cardboard in his windshield that says "go home." And while, yeah, there are sure issues with tourism economy, the fact remains that without tourism, none of our small towns and their charm would exist anymore. The fact also remains that, for the current generation, for the kids and teens, this IS their town, even if it's different. And, someday, when the town changes again, maybe for the better or for the worse, they're going to miss what it was, but what it becomes will be the new foundation for a new generation, and so on.
And yet, fate is often absurd and our destines forged by chance. The creation of Ahnwee is a farce of fate, a joke, really, and so is its resurrection. So too are the great booms and setbacks of the real world often so abstract and removed from our everyday lives that they may as well be a joke or a giant windmill blade smacking our vehicles or a flood of pig shit flooding our yards. As recent real world events have shown us, the average person's grasp of the economy and circumstances which make their lives easy or difficult is so thin it may as well not exist- the places, such as Washington, St. Paul, Ukraine, the Middle East, Canada- so far away they may as well be fantasy, and problems, such as deadly epidemics, climate change, and their consequences so insurmountable we may as well not try fighting them.
But through that ennui Burleson's characters, and therefore readers, still find something. In the great cosmic game of chance and cruelty that is human history, they find a town- they find a dog who sleeps in the middle of the road, they find a life of memories and stores, and they find each other. In the end, fate finds them again, and is kind.
I didn't find the fate of Ahnwee as comforting as maybe I should have. Things work out all right for the town in the end, and I have to believe that things will work out all right for mine, and yours, too. But I did find the way the characters deal with that fate comforting. I found Burleson's prose and humor comforting, and I found it comforting to be reminded that it all doesn't HAVE to be so absurd and hopeless- just that sometimes, it is. Though fate and chance often make things difficult, it is only us, as humans, which make things impossible- and only us, as humans, who can make things easier.
So, this is maybe not the most helpful review. Probabaly no one is looking for a ramble like this. Let me then conclude much more simply:
I recommend this book bigly. It's smart, clever, fun, hilarious, fast, and sweet. It's not terribly complex, but the humor and characters are rich, the story moves along at a great pace, and I really couldn't put it down- I read it all in about two sittings. 'Ahnwee Days' is well worth your time, your money, your heart, and your laughter. Check it out.
November 14, 2024
I am so grateful that I got to pre-read this novel before it hit the shelves. It's side-splittingly funny but its also very thoughtful and captures the sadness and wonder and powerlessness-- and then the discovered power--- of the people of rural communities when profiteers set their sights on them. The lead character Sybil is a force of nature, persistent and resilient. This is a rewarding read, a great story!
January 21, 2025
What a great time I had reading Ahnwee Days. With its wacky humor, the serious real-life history of how small towns got to be how they are comes through with gentle (though still wacky) poignancy.
Burleson has created characters that surprise themselves with their actions, choices and best of all, friendships. Like a slow moving river coming, it'll surprise you, too.
Very funny, very satisfying.
Burleson has created characters that surprise themselves with their actions, choices and best of all, friendships. Like a slow moving river coming, it'll surprise you, too.
Very funny, very satisfying.
December 21, 2024
I didn’t want this laugh-out-loud romp to end! If these quirky characters do not work their way into your heart, you might not have one.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 15, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Sybil and the other residents of Minnesota small town Ahnwee as they try to hold on to their town. With serious undertones about corruption, land grabs, and grief, the novel maintains great doses of wry humor and belief in the resilience of the human spirit. It's rare to find such a fine balance of wit and pathos.
March 28, 2025
I loved this book! It made me laugh outloud so many times! It's a great hyperbolic description of small town life and characters, but the warmth finds it's way through. I was surprised by the end of the book, but happy about the ending. I especially appreciated the Minnesota humor throughout... A comment about moving to Minneapolis, joining a food co-op and buying a bike is SO TRUE. Anyway, I'm laughing just thinking about it! I plan on buying a couple of hard copies to pass on to friends!
November 15, 2024
Humor with a bite (and not just from the dog). I drew attention to myself while reading this on a bus (due to public giggling) and later in the day was laughing so hard I spat out my coffee.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews