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The Gunners
Achieving bold emotional complexity, The Gunners explores just how much one moment, one decision, or one person can change us
Following on her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You’ve Never Been, called "mesmerizing," "powerful," and "gorgeous," by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections—even his emotional life is a blur.
As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with "The Gunners," his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally's death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness.
A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman’s place as one of the most important young writers of her generation.
Following on her wonderfully received first novel, Another Place You’ve Never Been, called "mesmerizing," "powerful," and "gorgeous," by critics all over the country, Rebecca Kauffman returns with Mikey Callahan, a thirty-year-old who is suffering from the clouded vision of macular degeneration. He struggles to establish human connections—even his emotional life is a blur.
As the novel begins, he is reconnecting with "The Gunners," his group of childhood friends, after one of their members has committed suicide. Sally had distanced herself from all of them before ending her life, and she died harboring secrets about the group and its individuals. Mikey especially needs to confront dark secrets about his own past and his father. How much of this darkness accounts for the emotional stupor Mikey is suffering from as he reaches his maturity? And can The Gunners, prompted by Sally's death, find their way to a new day? The core of this adventure, made by Mikey, Alice, Lynn, Jimmy, and Sam, becomes a search for the core of truth, friendship, and forgiveness.
A quietly startling, beautiful book, The Gunners engages us with vividly unforgettable characters, and advances Rebecca Kauffman’s place as one of the most important young writers of her generation.
261 pages, Hardcover
First published March 20, 2018
400 people are currently reading
11641 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Kauffman
6 books362 followersRebecca Kauffman is originally from rural northeastern Ohio. She received her B.A. from the Manhattan School of Music in Violin Performance, and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from NYU. She currently lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
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August 15, 2020
Update: $1.99 kindle special today!!! Good deal!!!
This book is WAY ADDICTIVE!!!
Audiobook...
TOTAL DELIGHT!!!
I can’t ever remember finishing an audiobook in two days. It’s simply a longer process than reading the same book.
But this was SO ENGAGING!!!!!
I was so involved with the characters and their stories, that I literally had my iPhone attached to me for 2 days —hours of listening without ever wanting a break.
For readers who enjoyed “St. Elmo’s Fire”, “The Big Chill”, “A Little Life”, there’s a great chance you’ll enjoy this story.
It’s heavily character driven.
Mikey, Sally, Alice, Sam, Jimmy, and Lynn... will stay in your thoughts long after finishing the book.
Tara - Running ‘n’ Reading wrote a perfect review of this book.
I think this type of book is easily a reader’s ‘self- select’ just by the blurb alone. I knew instantly I wanted to read this book - and I hadn’t read one review. I just ‘knew’.
I’m guessing and trusting - other readers know who you are too ....if this book is for you or not. I LOVE BOOKS ABOUT MESSY RELATIONSHIPS - FAMILIES - FRIENDSHIPS - THEIR STORIES...
“The Gunner’s” satisfies all these things.
No need to share much. Best to enjoy these characters - their individual personalities- their redeeming qualities and flaws through your own journey.
ENJOY!!!!! Much pleasure!!!!!!!!
This book is WAY ADDICTIVE!!!
Audiobook...
TOTAL DELIGHT!!!
I can’t ever remember finishing an audiobook in two days. It’s simply a longer process than reading the same book.
But this was SO ENGAGING!!!!!
I was so involved with the characters and their stories, that I literally had my iPhone attached to me for 2 days —hours of listening without ever wanting a break.
For readers who enjoyed “St. Elmo’s Fire”, “The Big Chill”, “A Little Life”, there’s a great chance you’ll enjoy this story.
It’s heavily character driven.
Mikey, Sally, Alice, Sam, Jimmy, and Lynn... will stay in your thoughts long after finishing the book.
Tara - Running ‘n’ Reading wrote a perfect review of this book.
I think this type of book is easily a reader’s ‘self- select’ just by the blurb alone. I knew instantly I wanted to read this book - and I hadn’t read one review. I just ‘knew’.
I’m guessing and trusting - other readers know who you are too ....if this book is for you or not. I LOVE BOOKS ABOUT MESSY RELATIONSHIPS - FAMILIES - FRIENDSHIPS - THEIR STORIES...
“The Gunner’s” satisfies all these things.
No need to share much. Best to enjoy these characters - their individual personalities- their redeeming qualities and flaws through your own journey.
ENJOY!!!!! Much pleasure!!!!!!!!
March 27, 2018
They called themselves the Gunners after the name on the mailbox of the old, deserted house that they used as a meeting place. They had been friends since early grade school, shared pranks, secrets, were there for each other, were each other's safe place. Three boys, three girls, inseparable friends, until they are sixteen and Sally stops speaking to them. The other five profess not to know why this has happened, but she would never speak to them again. Mikey and Sallywould be the only ones to stay in their hometown, the rest would scatter to different areas, different lives. Then when they are in their early thirties, Sally commits suicide, and the remaining friends come together again for her funeral.
Everyone once in a while one picks up a book that takes them back to their youth. For me, this was the book. I too had a group of friends like this, though we didn't meet in an old house, but in a school yard. Nightly we were each other's safe haven, friends we thought forever, but of course we drifted apart. Although I know what happened to some, a few I stay in touch with, but many I have no clue. Friends in your youth, always have a special place in your heart. This book is written in alternate chapters back stories, and the present. When they get together secrets of the past are revealed, and they find out that they didn't know each other as well as they thought.
Such a bittersweet tone to this, regrets, sadness, confessions but also joy at being together again. The family they chose, instead of the ones into which they were born. They each have a role, defining charactetists that are still apparent even after many years apart. Loved the steadiness of Mikey, his quiet compassion, and Alice is an absolute hoot, then and now. These are the two that we learn the most about, though we learn a little about all of them. In such a small amount of pages the author does an amazing job covering much. Quite a good and for me, identifiable read.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Everyone once in a while one picks up a book that takes them back to their youth. For me, this was the book. I too had a group of friends like this, though we didn't meet in an old house, but in a school yard. Nightly we were each other's safe haven, friends we thought forever, but of course we drifted apart. Although I know what happened to some, a few I stay in touch with, but many I have no clue. Friends in your youth, always have a special place in your heart. This book is written in alternate chapters back stories, and the present. When they get together secrets of the past are revealed, and they find out that they didn't know each other as well as they thought.
Such a bittersweet tone to this, regrets, sadness, confessions but also joy at being together again. The family they chose, instead of the ones into which they were born. They each have a role, defining charactetists that are still apparent even after many years apart. Loved the steadiness of Mikey, his quiet compassion, and Alice is an absolute hoot, then and now. These are the two that we learn the most about, though we learn a little about all of them. In such a small amount of pages the author does an amazing job covering much. Quite a good and for me, identifiable read.
ARC from Edelweiss.
April 14, 2018
4.5 stars.
From a young age, the six of them were inseparable friends—Mikey, Jimmy, Sam, Alice, Sally, and Lynn. They pranked and teased, protected and supported each other, and even helped each other cheat in school. They became The Gunners, after the name on the mailbox of the abandoned house in their neighborhood they took over as their de-facto clubhouse. Even into their teenage years, they knew they'd be friends forever. But of course, that wasn't what happened.
"As children, The Gunners could not have imagined that by the time they were sixteen years old, one of them would turn her back on the others, and the group would be so fractured by the loss, the sudden and unexplained absence of this one, that within weeks the other friendships would also dissolve, leaving each of them in a dark and confounding solitude."
Mikey Callahan never leaves their hometown, although the rest of The Gunners head off in every direction. All of them except Sally, whose sudden, mysterious departure from the group caused its demise. Sally still lives in town as well, but even though she and Mikey see each other, she never speaks to him or even pretends to know him. It further reinforces Mikey's feelings of loneliness and disconnection—he has a tenuous, almost formal relationship with his father, and he is slowly going blind due to macular degeneration. For a 30-year-old, he feels old and alone.
Although Mikey and his old friends keep in sporadic touch, they are all brought together when Sally unexpectedly commits suicide. Jimmy, Sam, Alice, and Lynn return home, each bearing their own wounds from life. As they reunite and reminisce, each is buoyed by rekindling the bonds of friendship, and pained by Sally's absence, and the confusion and hurt they all still feel about her abandoning the group. But many are also burdened by the belief that it was their actions that caused Sally's break from the group and their lives, and perhaps led to her suicide years later.
It's always amazing how vividly childhood memories can live on into adulthood, and how the hurts we sustain in childhood can continue to haunt us as well. Rebecca Kauffman's heartfelt story captures the innocence and the pain of growing up, the beauty and the disillusionment that friendship can bring to our lives, and how the memories and the connections we make are ones to be cherished our entire lives.
The Gunners tells a familiar story in many ways, yet Kauffman throws in her own unique touches. The narration shifts from childhood to adulthood, alighting on different memories of each of the friends. This is a beautifully written, poignant book with fascinating characters, but we don't get to know all of them as well as I wish we had. Mikey, however, is the heart and soul of this book, and his journey, his longing, tugs at your heart and your emotions.
For those who are disturbed by such things, there is a segment toward the end of the book (which runs far too long, although I understood the overall point Kauffman was looking to make) which takes place in a meat processing plant, so there are descriptions of animals being killed and processed. I pretty much skimmed most of it, but it may upset some.
While the plot of The Gunners didn't remind me of the movie Stand By Me in any way, I couldn't stop thinking of my favorite quote from that movie while reading this book: "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
This book is a wonderful tribute to the power of connection, of belonging, and the beauty of friendship. I so enjoyed this.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
From a young age, the six of them were inseparable friends—Mikey, Jimmy, Sam, Alice, Sally, and Lynn. They pranked and teased, protected and supported each other, and even helped each other cheat in school. They became The Gunners, after the name on the mailbox of the abandoned house in their neighborhood they took over as their de-facto clubhouse. Even into their teenage years, they knew they'd be friends forever. But of course, that wasn't what happened.
"As children, The Gunners could not have imagined that by the time they were sixteen years old, one of them would turn her back on the others, and the group would be so fractured by the loss, the sudden and unexplained absence of this one, that within weeks the other friendships would also dissolve, leaving each of them in a dark and confounding solitude."
Mikey Callahan never leaves their hometown, although the rest of The Gunners head off in every direction. All of them except Sally, whose sudden, mysterious departure from the group caused its demise. Sally still lives in town as well, but even though she and Mikey see each other, she never speaks to him or even pretends to know him. It further reinforces Mikey's feelings of loneliness and disconnection—he has a tenuous, almost formal relationship with his father, and he is slowly going blind due to macular degeneration. For a 30-year-old, he feels old and alone.
Although Mikey and his old friends keep in sporadic touch, they are all brought together when Sally unexpectedly commits suicide. Jimmy, Sam, Alice, and Lynn return home, each bearing their own wounds from life. As they reunite and reminisce, each is buoyed by rekindling the bonds of friendship, and pained by Sally's absence, and the confusion and hurt they all still feel about her abandoning the group. But many are also burdened by the belief that it was their actions that caused Sally's break from the group and their lives, and perhaps led to her suicide years later.
It's always amazing how vividly childhood memories can live on into adulthood, and how the hurts we sustain in childhood can continue to haunt us as well. Rebecca Kauffman's heartfelt story captures the innocence and the pain of growing up, the beauty and the disillusionment that friendship can bring to our lives, and how the memories and the connections we make are ones to be cherished our entire lives.
The Gunners tells a familiar story in many ways, yet Kauffman throws in her own unique touches. The narration shifts from childhood to adulthood, alighting on different memories of each of the friends. This is a beautifully written, poignant book with fascinating characters, but we don't get to know all of them as well as I wish we had. Mikey, however, is the heart and soul of this book, and his journey, his longing, tugs at your heart and your emotions.
For those who are disturbed by such things, there is a segment toward the end of the book (which runs far too long, although I understood the overall point Kauffman was looking to make) which takes place in a meat processing plant, so there are descriptions of animals being killed and processed. I pretty much skimmed most of it, but it may upset some.
While the plot of The Gunners didn't remind me of the movie Stand By Me in any way, I couldn't stop thinking of my favorite quote from that movie while reading this book: "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
This book is a wonderful tribute to the power of connection, of belonging, and the beauty of friendship. I so enjoyed this.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
June 5, 2022
Thank you GR friend Elyse for steering me to “The Gunners” by Rebecca Kauffman. This is one that leaves you gut-punched in so many ways.
A group of latchkey kids from the scrappier part of Buffalo NY (Lackawanna) form a “club” in an old, abandoned house near their homes. The children are neighbors; they ride the school bus together, most of them are in the same grade. Kauffman writes them exactly how children are: plain, basic, outspoken, fearful, worried, and innocent. Their group tries to suss out how to grow up. It’s her style of writing that sneaks up on you. Although it’s literary fiction, the children’s conversations are authentically simple and straight-forward.
The story begins with a funeral. The Gunners are grown, 30 years-old now, with only one (Mikey) still living in the area. As they group together, they each feel as though they bear some responsibility to the death of Sally, who abruptly broke off contact with their group Junior year of high school. From the start, Kauffman provides the reader with Sally’s difficult home environment. She’s not the only one existing in a sad home. Mikey, who is the protagonist of the story, is a character that the reader feels all his emotions. He’s 6 when Alice finds the abandoned home and collects the group together. Sally and Mikey are best friends. Alice is the group leader; although bossy and blunt, she has a way of keeping everyone together. Lynn is a redheaded pianist. Jimmy and Sam are blonde boys who complete the group.
The story is told by switching between the funeral, a time when they are 30 years old, and their history: how they grew up and became childhood best friends. What Kauffman does so well is show how kids don’t need to completely understand their world or their friend’s world. They understand stress and instability. They have compassion for one another. They get by.
It is at the funeral that, as adults, the friends get together and piece together their lives. The group chats and there are some shocking reveals. Mickey especially struggles with new information (as did I). The group struggles with Mikey’s revelation of his early onset macular degeneration.
Kauffman shows how tight-knit childhood friends can form lifetime friendships that include support and emotional understanding.
I will remember Mikey and Sally for a very long time!
I listened to the audible audiobook narrated by Michael David Axtell. It’s an 8 hour listen and was an audible freebee.
A group of latchkey kids from the scrappier part of Buffalo NY (Lackawanna) form a “club” in an old, abandoned house near their homes. The children are neighbors; they ride the school bus together, most of them are in the same grade. Kauffman writes them exactly how children are: plain, basic, outspoken, fearful, worried, and innocent. Their group tries to suss out how to grow up. It’s her style of writing that sneaks up on you. Although it’s literary fiction, the children’s conversations are authentically simple and straight-forward.
The story begins with a funeral. The Gunners are grown, 30 years-old now, with only one (Mikey) still living in the area. As they group together, they each feel as though they bear some responsibility to the death of Sally, who abruptly broke off contact with their group Junior year of high school. From the start, Kauffman provides the reader with Sally’s difficult home environment. She’s not the only one existing in a sad home. Mikey, who is the protagonist of the story, is a character that the reader feels all his emotions. He’s 6 when Alice finds the abandoned home and collects the group together. Sally and Mikey are best friends. Alice is the group leader; although bossy and blunt, she has a way of keeping everyone together. Lynn is a redheaded pianist. Jimmy and Sam are blonde boys who complete the group.
The story is told by switching between the funeral, a time when they are 30 years old, and their history: how they grew up and became childhood best friends. What Kauffman does so well is show how kids don’t need to completely understand their world or their friend’s world. They understand stress and instability. They have compassion for one another. They get by.
It is at the funeral that, as adults, the friends get together and piece together their lives. The group chats and there are some shocking reveals. Mickey especially struggles with new information (as did I). The group struggles with Mikey’s revelation of his early onset macular degeneration.
Kauffman shows how tight-knit childhood friends can form lifetime friendships that include support and emotional understanding.
I will remember Mikey and Sally for a very long time!
I listened to the audible audiobook narrated by Michael David Axtell. It’s an 8 hour listen and was an audible freebee.
October 1, 2018
The "Gunners" were a group of childhood friends (Mickey, Sally, Sam, Alice, Jimmy, Lynn) who named themselves after the family who owned the old abandoned house which they used as their hangout location. They were inseparable and had many adventures together, until one day Sally, broke apart from the group and never spoke to any of them. Losing one member, eventually drove them apart as the grew up and moved away. Mickey and Sally were the only ones who remained in their hometown, but still, they did not speak, and their paths did not cross.
Mickey, now thirty-year-old, has been told that due to his macular degeneration, he will be losing his sight. As he prepares for a life of darkness, he learns that Sally has committed suicide. The Gunners return to town for Sally's funeral and confront the past. Each sharing their memories and informing the other of some of their secrets - secrets only Sally knew. Mickey also has secrets- secrets about his past, his relationship with his father and questions that were never answered in his youth.
This plot is simple yet heartfelt and powerful at the same time. Our friends often become our "family" and what happens when one member of your family leaves you. People often confide their secrets to their friends - but what happens when you keep secrets from your friends? The book focuses on secrets and how they can affect, and change lives. The burden of carrying secrets, of being secretive and the reasons for keeping things from those who are close to us weigh on individuals. As the group gathers to mourn one of their own, they also learn forgiveness, strengthen their bonds and face the truth together.
Wonderfully written, this book may have the reader reflecting on his/her childhood and childhood friends. Some may be able to relate, and some may see his/herself in some of the characters. This book has a sense of nostalgia. As the book transitions between childhood and adulthood, it is easy to become invested in these character's lives. We get to know two of the characters more than the other's- Mickey being the main character. Even though not all the characters receive equal billing, we are shown enough to care about them and their secrets.
Reward and thought provoking, the Gunners does not disappoint.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Mickey, now thirty-year-old, has been told that due to his macular degeneration, he will be losing his sight. As he prepares for a life of darkness, he learns that Sally has committed suicide. The Gunners return to town for Sally's funeral and confront the past. Each sharing their memories and informing the other of some of their secrets - secrets only Sally knew. Mickey also has secrets- secrets about his past, his relationship with his father and questions that were never answered in his youth.
This plot is simple yet heartfelt and powerful at the same time. Our friends often become our "family" and what happens when one member of your family leaves you. People often confide their secrets to their friends - but what happens when you keep secrets from your friends? The book focuses on secrets and how they can affect, and change lives. The burden of carrying secrets, of being secretive and the reasons for keeping things from those who are close to us weigh on individuals. As the group gathers to mourn one of their own, they also learn forgiveness, strengthen their bonds and face the truth together.
Wonderfully written, this book may have the reader reflecting on his/her childhood and childhood friends. Some may be able to relate, and some may see his/herself in some of the characters. This book has a sense of nostalgia. As the book transitions between childhood and adulthood, it is easy to become invested in these character's lives. We get to know two of the characters more than the other's- Mickey being the main character. Even though not all the characters receive equal billing, we are shown enough to care about them and their secrets.
Reward and thought provoking, the Gunners does not disappoint.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
March 12, 2018
The Gunners are a group of six childhood friends from Lackawanna, New York. Together they congregate for hours at an old abandoned house whose mailbox provides the group namesake “ The Gunners”. At sixteen, Sally exits the group without an explanation. The members are baffled by her actions but continue to meet until the end of high school. Fifteen years later, the group finally reconnects for Sally’s funeral.
They spend a weekend together reminiscing about their youth and sharing more recent gossip from their lives. Mikey, who still resides in Buffalo was closest to Sally and is still seeking answers about why she abandoned them. Each member begins to share their own private observations and many mysteries begin to unwind.
I enjoyed “The Gunners” by Rebecca Kauffman with its detailed characters and complex childhood revelations. It is a story about friendship, family and overcoming life's obstacles.
They spend a weekend together reminiscing about their youth and sharing more recent gossip from their lives. Mikey, who still resides in Buffalo was closest to Sally and is still seeking answers about why she abandoned them. Each member begins to share their own private observations and many mysteries begin to unwind.
I enjoyed “The Gunners” by Rebecca Kauffman with its detailed characters and complex childhood revelations. It is a story about friendship, family and overcoming life's obstacles.
March 5, 2019
Psssst. Do you want to know secrets? This book has many secrets; almost too many. A group of friends reunite after one of them commits suicide. Feeling The Big Chill? The narrative moves back and forth between childhood and adulthood as the group tries to make sense out of the senseless. There's gestalt going on here and one's perception of the truth will never equal but may exceed the whole truth. The writing is uneven. At times, I was reading literary fiction and exploring group dynamics as well as meditations on love, loneliness and belonging. At other times, I was reading chick lit and knee deep in a morass of contemporary coping mechanisms. As a whole, The Gunners succeeds but maybe there is more to it than that.
May 12, 2018
On a recent vacation to Washington DC, my husband (a non-reader, but a very lovely man nonetheless) graciously agreed to stop by Politics and Prose bookstore, a visit that was somewhat of a “holy grail” mission for me. A number of my Goodreads friends live in the DC area and I have always been super jealous of their access to amazing author events. That particular Saturday, authors Mira T. Lee (“Everything Here is Beautiful”) and Rebecca Kauffman (“The Gunners”) were scheduled to present. As luck would have it, I already had both books on my Goodreads “To Read” list, so I was really anxious to meet them and get personalized copies of their books. We booked it from Philadelphia to DC and just made it in time. Such delightful ladies! I had a nice chat with Kauffman, who is a fellow Midwesterner. I decide to start with her book first.
“The Gunners” is about a small group of childhood friends (three boys and three girls) from the same depressed neighborhood in Lackawanna, New York. The group uses an abandoned neighborhood house (the mailbox on the house announces the previous owners as “The Gunners;” hence the title of the book) as their defacto meeting place. The group sticks together from elementary school to high school, sharing secrets and bonding closely. When they turn sixteen, one of the friends (Sally, the most sensitive and vulnerable) cuts off all contact from the group, with no explanation. The friends try in vain to find out why she has done this, but Sally will not speak to them. She isolates herself from her childhood friends and everyone else, forming no new friendships and maintaining an icy and distant demeanor. The group reluctantly allow Sally her space and move on. After high school, most of the group move away, to college and other endeavors. Sally remains in Lackawanna, as does Mikey, the main character in this book. Mikey leads a quiet and withdrawn life, working maintenance at a General Mills factory and dealing with early macular degeneration, which will render him blind in a few years. The five friends stay in loose touch via sporadic emails.
Twelve years after their high school graduation, Sally commits suicide by throwing herself off the Buffalo Skyway. The group comes back to Lackawanna for her funeral and to try to make sense of this senseless act. Why did Sally leave the group fourteen years ago and why did she end her life? Each member of the group seems to feel it’s their fault that Sally cut herself off from them years ago. They reveal their secrets as they get together after the funeral.
This novel has a real ”The Big Chill” vibe, if you have seen that movie. It’s interesting to observe these characters grow from children to adults and to take in their interactions with each other. They are very different people and have very different lives, but their childhood bond and love for each other endures. I especially loved the main character Mikey and his relationship with the most boisterous and direct friend in the group, Alice. These two couldn’t be more opposite, but their sweet friendship gave me all the feels.
"The Gunners" is a very well done novel that is a tender but powerful homage to the enduring blessing of childhood friendships. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy character driven novels.
“The Gunners” is about a small group of childhood friends (three boys and three girls) from the same depressed neighborhood in Lackawanna, New York. The group uses an abandoned neighborhood house (the mailbox on the house announces the previous owners as “The Gunners;” hence the title of the book) as their defacto meeting place. The group sticks together from elementary school to high school, sharing secrets and bonding closely. When they turn sixteen, one of the friends (Sally, the most sensitive and vulnerable) cuts off all contact from the group, with no explanation. The friends try in vain to find out why she has done this, but Sally will not speak to them. She isolates herself from her childhood friends and everyone else, forming no new friendships and maintaining an icy and distant demeanor. The group reluctantly allow Sally her space and move on. After high school, most of the group move away, to college and other endeavors. Sally remains in Lackawanna, as does Mikey, the main character in this book. Mikey leads a quiet and withdrawn life, working maintenance at a General Mills factory and dealing with early macular degeneration, which will render him blind in a few years. The five friends stay in loose touch via sporadic emails.
Twelve years after their high school graduation, Sally commits suicide by throwing herself off the Buffalo Skyway. The group comes back to Lackawanna for her funeral and to try to make sense of this senseless act. Why did Sally leave the group fourteen years ago and why did she end her life? Each member of the group seems to feel it’s their fault that Sally cut herself off from them years ago. They reveal their secrets as they get together after the funeral.
This novel has a real ”The Big Chill” vibe, if you have seen that movie. It’s interesting to observe these characters grow from children to adults and to take in their interactions with each other. They are very different people and have very different lives, but their childhood bond and love for each other endures. I especially loved the main character Mikey and his relationship with the most boisterous and direct friend in the group, Alice. These two couldn’t be more opposite, but their sweet friendship gave me all the feels.
"The Gunners" is a very well done novel that is a tender but powerful homage to the enduring blessing of childhood friendships. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy character driven novels.
August 3, 2018
What a wonderful, little gem of a novel this was.
Six childhood friends grow up, spread their wings and meet fifteen years later at one of their friend's funeral. Sally had committed suicide. She was special to all of them. Each of them knew different sides of Sally, while Sally knew secrets about each of them. Nobody really knew Sally, or each other, as a matter of fact. And isn't that the case about everyone we know?
Each and every individual has their own take on what had happened and why Sally had broken all ties with everyone in the group. Each of them is convinced that they were the cause for Sally's departure. It could have been each and every one of them, all of them together or none of them. Nobody could be sure as Sally never said anything! And now she is dead ...
The Gunners is a novel about friendships, about the seemingly little things in life that can affect us, change us and stay with us forever. It was also about perspective, about memory, about belonging and so many other things. But most of all, this was about the human limitations and flaws.
I'll leave it at that and encourage you to read it. It's simply written, but nevertheless, evocative and touching.
It made me think - this is why I read!
Six childhood friends grow up, spread their wings and meet fifteen years later at one of their friend's funeral. Sally had committed suicide. She was special to all of them. Each of them knew different sides of Sally, while Sally knew secrets about each of them. Nobody really knew Sally, or each other, as a matter of fact. And isn't that the case about everyone we know?
Each and every individual has their own take on what had happened and why Sally had broken all ties with everyone in the group. Each of them is convinced that they were the cause for Sally's departure. It could have been each and every one of them, all of them together or none of them. Nobody could be sure as Sally never said anything! And now she is dead ...
The Gunners is a novel about friendships, about the seemingly little things in life that can affect us, change us and stay with us forever. It was also about perspective, about memory, about belonging and so many other things. But most of all, this was about the human limitations and flaws.
I'll leave it at that and encourage you to read it. It's simply written, but nevertheless, evocative and touching.
It made me think - this is why I read!
April 15, 2018
I'm going with 5 stars for this one, because it made me want to be a better person, better wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend. Oh, the things we don't know about other people! The holes in their hearts, the needs they never voice, the pain they keep inside. Being human carries a lot of baggage, even for the lucky ones.
"That word "love"... It was scary and outlandish to him. But what was life if not a long series of scary and outlandish things you did and said and asked of your heart, so you could carry the wild and unreasonable hope that someday someone would hold your face and say: 'You are perfect. You can rest now. You were always perfect to me.' "
I'm going to try to say that to a lot of people from now on.
"That word "love"... It was scary and outlandish to him. But what was life if not a long series of scary and outlandish things you did and said and asked of your heart, so you could carry the wild and unreasonable hope that someday someone would hold your face and say: 'You are perfect. You can rest now. You were always perfect to me.' "
I'm going to try to say that to a lot of people from now on.
July 31, 2018
The Gunners is about a group of childhood friends who grew up outside Buffalo, returning as adults in their early 30s for a funeral, following the suicide of one of their group members, Sally.
Mikey and Sally remained in town while the others - Jimmy, Lynn, Sam, and Alice - all left after high school to pursue different education and careers. As they group reunites and reminisces about the past, deep, long-held secrets are revealed. They each feel responsible in some way or another for contributing to Sally’s distance from the rest of the group. I found Alice to be a bit annoying and over the top, although she did grow on me as the story progressed. Mikey was my favorite character. He seemed to be the truest friend among the group.
”Frightening how several seconds of your life can impact someone else’s opinion of your entire personhood. You know what I mean? How quickly your mind changes in some cases, and how impossible it is to change it in other cases once it’s been made up.”
The book had a dreary, gray and somewhat somber tone throughout, yet it wasn’t boring - I actually really liked the story. A large portion of The Gunners was set in present day Buffalo, during the winter months, which probably helped create this tone. I also enjoyed how The Gunners were able to seemingly pick up where they left off though many of them hadn’t seen each other in years. I think this is often a sign of true friendship in real life as well.
While I feel like I can be Goldilocks with story endings (I don’t want it too neat but I want most loose ends somewhat tied up), I did appreciate the elements that were left open at the end of this story. It’s similar to real life - There are times when we just don’t know or don’t get to know everything. The Gunners is a fairly quick read focused deeply on friendship and one that I recommended to readers who enjoy group dynamics.
Mikey and Sally remained in town while the others - Jimmy, Lynn, Sam, and Alice - all left after high school to pursue different education and careers. As they group reunites and reminisces about the past, deep, long-held secrets are revealed. They each feel responsible in some way or another for contributing to Sally’s distance from the rest of the group. I found Alice to be a bit annoying and over the top, although she did grow on me as the story progressed. Mikey was my favorite character. He seemed to be the truest friend among the group.
”Frightening how several seconds of your life can impact someone else’s opinion of your entire personhood. You know what I mean? How quickly your mind changes in some cases, and how impossible it is to change it in other cases once it’s been made up.”
The book had a dreary, gray and somewhat somber tone throughout, yet it wasn’t boring - I actually really liked the story. A large portion of The Gunners was set in present day Buffalo, during the winter months, which probably helped create this tone. I also enjoyed how The Gunners were able to seemingly pick up where they left off though many of them hadn’t seen each other in years. I think this is often a sign of true friendship in real life as well.
While I feel like I can be Goldilocks with story endings (I don’t want it too neat but I want most loose ends somewhat tied up), I did appreciate the elements that were left open at the end of this story. It’s similar to real life - There are times when we just don’t know or don’t get to know everything. The Gunners is a fairly quick read focused deeply on friendship and one that I recommended to readers who enjoy group dynamics.
April 28, 2019
3.5★
“Issa said, ‘Do you want to know what my mom used to say about honest questions?’ ‘What’s that?’
‘They can be like farts. It feels good to let them out, but once you do, sometimes they just make the whole room stink.’ Everyone laughed, including Sam.
The Gunners are adults here, with their partners, sharing feelings, asking questions, and revealing secrets. They are five of the six kids who used to use an abandoned house with the name “gunners” on the mailbox. Because it became their house, they called themselves the Gunners.
They seem to be made up of the obligatory one of everybody. Well, not everybody, but nerd, tubby, smart, poor, rich, quirky, pretty, disfigured, daring - obviously some cover more than one category.
The sixth kid was Sally (pretty and poor), who has committed suicide. Mikey lived with his father only a couple of houses away from her and her alcoholic mother. Sally was his first real friend, but sometime when they were all about 16, Sally suddenly withdrew from them all, even Mikey, and nobody seemed to know why.
The story is told in different voices, some of it when they were children and some now that they’re adults.
“Sally loved spending time with Mikey. He never seemed to have a nasty opinion about anything. Like her, he seemed equally satisfied to talk or not talk, and he never asked hard questions. This suited Sally just fine. There were things she didn’t want to talk about, things that Mikey would never think to ask.”
Mikey was crushed when Sally died.
“Mikey was broken, muddled, distracted. He could think of nothing else, yet no matter how long and hard he thought on Sally, he could never reach her center. Furthermore, as he tried to recall memories of her, he realized he could never reach his own center—he could never reach something that felt entirely real, or true. He began to wonder if he had no center. A hollow man. Mikey was in touch with Alice, Jimmy, Sam, and Lynn to make sure the news had reached them. They all planned to come to town for the service.”
When they do get together, each claims responsibility for Sally's estrangement from them. Each feels guilty. Maybe that's because our own story always revolves around ourselves.
I recognise the characters as kids who could have come from my own school, and if had been about them or my neighbourhood, I might have found it interesting. Recognising them isn’t enough. It seemed like a case of “you had to be there”. As it was, it seemed like an “in” story about someone else’s life that I was overhearing with only mild curiosity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.
“Issa said, ‘Do you want to know what my mom used to say about honest questions?’ ‘What’s that?’
‘They can be like farts. It feels good to let them out, but once you do, sometimes they just make the whole room stink.’ Everyone laughed, including Sam.
The Gunners are adults here, with their partners, sharing feelings, asking questions, and revealing secrets. They are five of the six kids who used to use an abandoned house with the name “gunners” on the mailbox. Because it became their house, they called themselves the Gunners.
They seem to be made up of the obligatory one of everybody. Well, not everybody, but nerd, tubby, smart, poor, rich, quirky, pretty, disfigured, daring - obviously some cover more than one category.
The sixth kid was Sally (pretty and poor), who has committed suicide. Mikey lived with his father only a couple of houses away from her and her alcoholic mother. Sally was his first real friend, but sometime when they were all about 16, Sally suddenly withdrew from them all, even Mikey, and nobody seemed to know why.
The story is told in different voices, some of it when they were children and some now that they’re adults.
“Sally loved spending time with Mikey. He never seemed to have a nasty opinion about anything. Like her, he seemed equally satisfied to talk or not talk, and he never asked hard questions. This suited Sally just fine. There were things she didn’t want to talk about, things that Mikey would never think to ask.”
Mikey was crushed when Sally died.
“Mikey was broken, muddled, distracted. He could think of nothing else, yet no matter how long and hard he thought on Sally, he could never reach her center. Furthermore, as he tried to recall memories of her, he realized he could never reach his own center—he could never reach something that felt entirely real, or true. He began to wonder if he had no center. A hollow man. Mikey was in touch with Alice, Jimmy, Sam, and Lynn to make sure the news had reached them. They all planned to come to town for the service.”
When they do get together, each claims responsibility for Sally's estrangement from them. Each feels guilty. Maybe that's because our own story always revolves around ourselves.
I recognise the characters as kids who could have come from my own school, and if had been about them or my neighbourhood, I might have found it interesting. Recognising them isn’t enough. It seemed like a case of “you had to be there”. As it was, it seemed like an “in” story about someone else’s life that I was overhearing with only mild curiosity.
Thanks to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.
April 6, 2022
Splendid, easy-on-the-eyes novel exploring friendships and friends we relish and reminisce, and moments we regret, from our youth, and deftly displaying love's legion latitudes and lambencies. 4.5 The characters' emotions are raw, true and human, moreso than in nearly all novels I have read. And yet, Ms. Kauffman never seemed to be aiming at a reaction from me, as reader. That combo is special. Really special.
I loved this little novel. I lapped it like a pint of Ben & Jerry's.
I loved this little novel. I lapped it like a pint of Ben & Jerry's.
November 14, 2018
4.5 Stars
“Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them, oh, but don't you let them
-- You've Got a Friend, Carole King, Songwriters: Carole King
They were childhood friends, the six of them, Alice, Sally, Lynn, Jimmy, Sam and Mikey. They gathered together often in a house abandoned by theGunners family in their neighborhood in Lackawanna, New York throughout their childhood. It became like their clubhouse, and they took on the Gunners name as their own, and they became ‘The Gunners.’ This was their designated meeting spot for them through those years. So many stories told there, so many secrets shared, until one day when Sally pulls away without any explanation.
”As children, The Gunners could not have imagined that by the time they were sixteen years old, one of them would turn her back on the others, and the group would be so fractured by the loss, the sudden and unexplained absence of this one, that within weeks the other friendships would also dissolve, leaving each of them in a dark and confounding solitude. Mikey Callahan became a sinkhole, everything inside sort of loosened and then just collapsed.”
It isn’t though they didn’t ask her, or try to draw Sally back in, but their attempts were ignored, it is like she closed a door on their friendship, shutting those days behind her. And then in frustration over her turning her back on them, they turned away from each other.
College, and then life, jobs all pull them away in different directions after a time, and Sally and Mikey are the only ones who remain living in this quiet little town.
As this begins, fifteen years have passed, and five of these friends have gathered to pay their respects to the sixth member – Sally.
This was almost too reminiscent of the movie ‘The Big Chill,’ there are quite a few similarities in it. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this homage to friendship, especially those ones that are formed in our early years, ones that help to form us, teach us about belonging, leave us with lasting memories, those connections that never do really leave us, the people and places where our heart recognizes as home.
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
“Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend
When people can be so cold?
They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you
And take your soul if you let them, oh, but don't you let them
-- You've Got a Friend, Carole King, Songwriters: Carole King
They were childhood friends, the six of them, Alice, Sally, Lynn, Jimmy, Sam and Mikey. They gathered together often in a house abandoned by theGunners family in their neighborhood in Lackawanna, New York throughout their childhood. It became like their clubhouse, and they took on the Gunners name as their own, and they became ‘The Gunners.’ This was their designated meeting spot for them through those years. So many stories told there, so many secrets shared, until one day when Sally pulls away without any explanation.
”As children, The Gunners could not have imagined that by the time they were sixteen years old, one of them would turn her back on the others, and the group would be so fractured by the loss, the sudden and unexplained absence of this one, that within weeks the other friendships would also dissolve, leaving each of them in a dark and confounding solitude. Mikey Callahan became a sinkhole, everything inside sort of loosened and then just collapsed.”
It isn’t though they didn’t ask her, or try to draw Sally back in, but their attempts were ignored, it is like she closed a door on their friendship, shutting those days behind her. And then in frustration over her turning her back on them, they turned away from each other.
College, and then life, jobs all pull them away in different directions after a time, and Sally and Mikey are the only ones who remain living in this quiet little town.
As this begins, fifteen years have passed, and five of these friends have gathered to pay their respects to the sixth member – Sally.
This was almost too reminiscent of the movie ‘The Big Chill,’ there are quite a few similarities in it. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this homage to friendship, especially those ones that are formed in our early years, ones that help to form us, teach us about belonging, leave us with lasting memories, those connections that never do really leave us, the people and places where our heart recognizes as home.
Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!
August 3, 2018
Perfect. I loved it. As my friend Diane said in her review, it makes me want to be a better person to better cherish those I love. I almost devoured it in one sitting.
December 7, 2018
3.5 stars
"The Gunners" are a group of six childhood friends who reunite when one of them, Sally, commits suicide. Sally stopped talking to the rest of the group when they were 16. The others keep in touch, however, as everyone moves out of town, the contact is limited. When they finally all meet at the funeral, they revisit the past and a few old secrets are revealed.
Perhaps because I read so many great books this year, I was not wowed by this. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book and a couple of years ago, I might have given it 4 or even 5 stars, but I felt like the childhood friends premise has been done so many times before.
The one aspect of this book that stood out for me and I enjoyed the most, was the father-son dynamic between Mikey and his father John. It was touching to discover what lies underneath the seemingly distant and emotionless relationship.
Many thanks to Serpent's Tail for a free review copy in exchange for an honest unedited feedback.
The UK publication date is 10 January 2019.
"The Gunners" are a group of six childhood friends who reunite when one of them, Sally, commits suicide. Sally stopped talking to the rest of the group when they were 16. The others keep in touch, however, as everyone moves out of town, the contact is limited. When they finally all meet at the funeral, they revisit the past and a few old secrets are revealed.
Perhaps because I read so many great books this year, I was not wowed by this. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book and a couple of years ago, I might have given it 4 or even 5 stars, but I felt like the childhood friends premise has been done so many times before.
The one aspect of this book that stood out for me and I enjoyed the most, was the father-son dynamic between Mikey and his father John. It was touching to discover what lies underneath the seemingly distant and emotionless relationship.
Many thanks to Serpent's Tail for a free review copy in exchange for an honest unedited feedback.
The UK publication date is 10 January 2019.
May 1, 2018
*sigh* this was aggressively mediocre, somehow
I don't know what's been going on with me lately but omg have I been reading the most boring medicore painfully vanilla books
The Gunners is the latest in a string of Meh books I've recently read and instantly regretted reading. First of all, I could not tell you anything about this book to save my life. I don't even know what the point of this book was. Someone committed suicide and then some people met and talked about things and that was it. The characters were either so defined that they were laughably one-dimensional—[insert name here] is the [insert defining characteristic here] character—or just straight-up weird. They'd do things that were somehow supposed to be "quirky"—an egregious example is when one character asked for milk or something and the other character put some in her mouth and literally just spat it into his cup... wtf ?—but were actually weird/cringey/disgusting/things no actual human would ever do.
That's about all I have to say about this. I got nothing else. Like I can't even tear this to pieces because I actually remember NOTHING about it. Zilch. Nadda. It takes talent to write something that forgettable. Honestly I'm still pissed about the fact that this book had no discernible purpose. I should probably stop now because this review is going no where (just like this book ha).
Anyway, at least the book cover is pretty, right?
I don't know what's been going on with me lately but omg have I been reading the most boring medicore painfully vanilla books
The Gunners is the latest in a string of Meh books I've recently read and instantly regretted reading. First of all, I could not tell you anything about this book to save my life. I don't even know what the point of this book was. Someone committed suicide and then some people met and talked about things and that was it. The characters were either so defined that they were laughably one-dimensional—[insert name here] is the [insert defining characteristic here] character—or just straight-up weird. They'd do things that were somehow supposed to be "quirky"—an egregious example is when one character asked for milk or something and the other character put some in her mouth and literally just spat it into his cup... wtf ?—but were actually weird/cringey/disgusting/things no actual human would ever do.
That's about all I have to say about this. I got nothing else. Like I can't even tear this to pieces because I actually remember NOTHING about it. Zilch. Nadda. It takes talent to write something that forgettable. Honestly I'm still pissed about the fact that this book had no discernible purpose. I should probably stop now because this review is going no where (just like this book ha).
Anyway, at least the book cover is pretty, right?
April 5, 2018
Oh, my heart. This book really snuck up on me. It reminded me of a 80s movie, like The Big Chill or The Breakfast Club or IT without the horror parts.
They call themselves The Gunners, a group of childhood friends who, in spite of being very different, become bonded at a young age. Years later, when they’re all in their early 30s, they reunite when a member of the group commits suicide.
Over the course of this short novel, we come to know each of The Gunners through their weekend together at Sally’s funeral and flashbacks to their childhood. They harbor lifelong secrets, each convinced that they were somehow responsible for driving Sally away years earlier.
The story focuses primarily on Mikey—lonely, depressed, and suffering from early onset macular degeneration. He’s the only one of The Gunners (aside from the long-estranged Sally) who has stayed behind in their blue-collar upstate New York town.
Kauffman’s writing is simple, yet exquisitely observant and detailed in a way that sort of stuns you with humor and poignancy. The characters are rich and vibrant, their inner lives and internal struggles relatable and meaningful.
I really loved this novel, and feel genuinely touched by its beauty and sincerity.
They call themselves The Gunners, a group of childhood friends who, in spite of being very different, become bonded at a young age. Years later, when they’re all in their early 30s, they reunite when a member of the group commits suicide.
Over the course of this short novel, we come to know each of The Gunners through their weekend together at Sally’s funeral and flashbacks to their childhood. They harbor lifelong secrets, each convinced that they were somehow responsible for driving Sally away years earlier.
The story focuses primarily on Mikey—lonely, depressed, and suffering from early onset macular degeneration. He’s the only one of The Gunners (aside from the long-estranged Sally) who has stayed behind in their blue-collar upstate New York town.
Kauffman’s writing is simple, yet exquisitely observant and detailed in a way that sort of stuns you with humor and poignancy. The characters are rich and vibrant, their inner lives and internal struggles relatable and meaningful.
I really loved this novel, and feel genuinely touched by its beauty and sincerity.
July 27, 2018
I didn't fall in love with this novel until after the halfway point. Perhaps because later in the novel, the focus on the six childhood friends pivots more towards their adult lives. Or perhaps because I grew to appreciate Mikey more and more with each page. But suddenly I couldn't put the novel down and this group of people entered my heart.
I can't remember the last time a book made me cry. By the time I read the last paragraph (which I read several times) I was sobbing. Not because the ending was sad, but because it was perfect. Perfect.
I can't remember the last time a book made me cry. By the time I read the last paragraph (which I read several times) I was sobbing. Not because the ending was sad, but because it was perfect. Perfect.
January 2, 2020
This was a perfect book to end the year on and the perfect first book of 2020!
This is a book about enduring friendships. We meet “the Gunners”, a group of childhood friends, who come together at the funeral of one of their own- Sally, who committed suicide.
They have not seen each other in 15 years and this is a chance to reconnect. They never lost that underlying connection, but sharing their memories of Sally makes them realize that Sally was the one who knew them all the best. Why did she leave the group? Why did she kill herself? They all hold a secret- thinking they were the reason.
It was lovely getting to know this group. I love character driven novels and this one was pretty darn perfect!
Highly recommended!,
One of my favourite lines:
“ Funny how several seconds of your life can impact someone else’s opinion of your entire personality. You know what I mean? How quickly your mind changes in some cases, and how impossible it is to change it in other cases once it’s made up.”
Many thanks to Bianca for recommending this book! I loved it!
This is a book about enduring friendships. We meet “the Gunners”, a group of childhood friends, who come together at the funeral of one of their own- Sally, who committed suicide.
They have not seen each other in 15 years and this is a chance to reconnect. They never lost that underlying connection, but sharing their memories of Sally makes them realize that Sally was the one who knew them all the best. Why did she leave the group? Why did she kill herself? They all hold a secret- thinking they were the reason.
It was lovely getting to know this group. I love character driven novels and this one was pretty darn perfect!
Highly recommended!,
One of my favourite lines:
“ Funny how several seconds of your life can impact someone else’s opinion of your entire personality. You know what I mean? How quickly your mind changes in some cases, and how impossible it is to change it in other cases once it’s made up.”
Many thanks to Bianca for recommending this book! I loved it!
September 1, 2018
I saw some friends' 5 star reviews and knew I had to read this. I listened to the very excellent audio rendition, finished in a day, and started over again from the beginning. Did not want it to end. I adored the characters, especially Mikey, and Alice delivered all the lines that had me laughing out loud. She was tough on the outside but was kindness and goodness to her core. Mikey was just a sweetheart and his story touched my heart. I imagined this would be like The Big Chill, and it had lots of similarities for sure, but I stopped comparing them about halfway in. Just a wonderful book.
In an interview on electricliterature.com, the author said this:
I believe being a “good person” is completely meaningless outside the context of how you treat people. So treating everyone as a friend — with kindness, generosity, vulnerability — in my opinion far outweighs any other sort of way we might be tempted to quantify or define “goodness.”
In an interview on electricliterature.com, the author said this:
I believe being a “good person” is completely meaningless outside the context of how you treat people. So treating everyone as a friend — with kindness, generosity, vulnerability — in my opinion far outweighs any other sort of way we might be tempted to quantify or define “goodness.”
April 2, 2018
"For we live with those retrievals from childhood that coalesce and echo throughout our lives, the way shattered pieces of glass in a kaleidoscope reappear in new forms and are songlike in their refrains and rhymes, making up a single monologue. We live permanently in the recurrence of our own stories, whatever story we tell. "
From Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje.
For me this book is in the category of I just picked it up and didn't mean to read it in one day, and I predict it's a book we'll be hearing a lot about.
When six childhood friends from Lackawanna,New York meet back up as adults after the suicide of one of their group, we are reminded of how our childhood makes us who we are, and that there are many joys and trials that serve to make up a life. A great tribute to friendship and our need for human connection, and a terrific character study and storyline especially in the second half of the book which has surprises you will not see coming.
If you loved The Big Chill this one is for you. 5 stars
From Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje.
For me this book is in the category of I just picked it up and didn't mean to read it in one day, and I predict it's a book we'll be hearing a lot about.
When six childhood friends from Lackawanna,New York meet back up as adults after the suicide of one of their group, we are reminded of how our childhood makes us who we are, and that there are many joys and trials that serve to make up a life. A great tribute to friendship and our need for human connection, and a terrific character study and storyline especially in the second half of the book which has surprises you will not see coming.
If you loved The Big Chill this one is for you. 5 stars
May 30, 2018
If you are craving a bit of Big Chill nostalgia this summer, The Gunners is a great choice! Childhood relationships are revisited when six friends return to their hometown for a funeral of one of their own who committed suicide. Each character feels some responsibility for the departure of their late friend and they reveal secrets from their past they had kept from others in the group. As much as they knew and loved each other as kids, their sometimes distorted perspectives were shaped by what they didn’t know. Alternating between childhood and current timing, Rebecca Kauffman shows us how we base our lives on our own personal reality, and what seems to be true from a distance may not always be the truth when examined up close.
The friend circle dissipated when they were teenagers because one of the six left the group without explanation, causing a fracture not to be repaired. Each went on with their lives separately, feeling blame, shame and regret, but now, reconnecting over tragedy, the friends share all that they have been hiding over the years as they spend the night together following the funeral.
Mickey, the most developed character, has remained in his hometown and is a late bloomer; he comes into his own at thirty when he has to face his failing eyesight and his difficult relationship with his father. He is a lonely guy with an average job, a quiet life and now, tragically he is going blind. The rekindled childhood friendships he regains boost his morale, and the secrets, now told, bolster his strength, shed light on his family situation and increase his understanding of his own existence and purpose.
The Gunners is a beautiful story of old friends and memories of youth, and how they serve as the foundation of adult relationships, bringing understanding, warm feelings, comfort and support to our lives as we get older. I highly recommend this book, especially of you are going to your high school reunion any time soon!
...follow my blog https://booknationbyjen.wordpress.com Book Nation by Jen for all reviews and recommendations.
The friend circle dissipated when they were teenagers because one of the six left the group without explanation, causing a fracture not to be repaired. Each went on with their lives separately, feeling blame, shame and regret, but now, reconnecting over tragedy, the friends share all that they have been hiding over the years as they spend the night together following the funeral.
Mickey, the most developed character, has remained in his hometown and is a late bloomer; he comes into his own at thirty when he has to face his failing eyesight and his difficult relationship with his father. He is a lonely guy with an average job, a quiet life and now, tragically he is going blind. The rekindled childhood friendships he regains boost his morale, and the secrets, now told, bolster his strength, shed light on his family situation and increase his understanding of his own existence and purpose.
The Gunners is a beautiful story of old friends and memories of youth, and how they serve as the foundation of adult relationships, bringing understanding, warm feelings, comfort and support to our lives as we get older. I highly recommend this book, especially of you are going to your high school reunion any time soon!
...follow my blog https://booknationbyjen.wordpress.com Book Nation by Jen for all reviews and recommendations.
April 12, 2018
I loved this one. Mikey was my favorite character. And you are perfect just the way you are!!!! Beautiful book on family and friends. Displays the good, the bad and the ugliness of relationships. Great read!
October 15, 2025
I don't like putting negative energy out into the universe, but I have to let you know that I was not a fan of this book.
April 19, 2018
4.5*s Really enjoyed this one on audio. Maybe started a tad slow, but then it has you. Read the top-notch reviews written by Larry H, and Diane S.
January 27, 2020
If there is one kind of story I am powerlessly drawn to, it is that of childhood friends who find solace in each other's company and strength in collective loyalty. The feeling of adolescent understanding and acceptance weaved with memory is a powerful and emotive theme in any story and I am a sucker for it (think: Stand By Me, IT, Stranger Things, Now & Then).
Enter "The Gunners", a group of six friends who take their moniker from the mailbox of an old, abandoned house where they met as children. While the house provided a physical space for them to meet, the safe haven was actually in themselves: a collective comfort away from the harshness of their latchkey-kid lives. Flash-forward to present day and Mikey, our book's protagonist, is thirty years old and suffering from the clouded vision of early-onset macular degeneration. As a result, he literally doesn't see life clearly but also has an inability to establish human connection. He takes his joy from quietly documenting the rest of the Gunners: Alice, a ballsy, brash lesbian marina owner with a lot of opinions; Lynn, a gifted pianist with a severed finger and weekly Alcoholics Anonymous commitment; Sam, an Everyman and born again christian; and Jimmy, a math genius who struck investment gold in Los Angeles but owns a lake house near the Gunners' hometown.
The last member of the group is the most significant, as it is she who draws them all back together. Sally, the daughter of an alcoholic and cruel woman is the group's most sensitive and vulnerable member. Despite this, she became the group's keeper. While the Gunners did find comfort in each other, the consistent denial of their realities meant feelings and secrets festered, but as the novel goes on, we realise it is Sally whose shoulders carried the emotional burden. As a result, in highschool, Sally distanced herself from the group of friends before stopping speaking to them altogether. She remained in their hometown, along with Mikey, but she lived a life of solitude up until the point when she takes her own life. Sally died harboring the dark secrets of her friends but it is her death that unites them once again.
The narrative moves back and forth in time as the novel progresses and it is through the present-day chapters that we begin to see the characters emerge. In coming back together, the Gunners revisit the past and explore their realities, attempting to make peace with themselves and each other. Each is convinced that theirs was the burden that drove Sally to leave the group and eventually take her own life but when they begin to reveal what they kept hidden as children, truths are uncovered. Mikey, in particular, needs to confront feelings he has about his relationship with his father. Much of Mikey's darkness comes from experiences he had as a child and teenager, experiences that led to him creating an impenetrable emotional distance between him and those in his life. While all of the characters are fully fleshed-out and expertly evoked, it is Mikey who stands out. Despite his preference for distance over intimacy, Mikey's empathy and compassion are obvious. I loved him for his gentle ways and his steadfastness, his loyalty and his heart. But this isn't just about likability: what we take away from this book isn't how likable the characters are, because of course they are flawed. It is about the genuine affection between these characters and the love and concern these friends have for each other that make this story so believable and inviting. Despite this book's quiet power, the Gunners draw you into their emotional and heart-wrenching narrative and leave you hoping for their happiness.
This is a story about truth, friendship and forgiveness. It is about creating a home outside of your family; creating a family when you feel you don't belong with your own; being accepted without necessarily being understood. It is also about how one moment, one decision can inexplicably change our path in life. The Gunners is startlingly beautiful and tender, poignant and meaningful.
With writing that is both observant and astute, Rebecca Kauffman has cemented herself as one of the most important young writers of our generation. 5 stars.
Enter "The Gunners", a group of six friends who take their moniker from the mailbox of an old, abandoned house where they met as children. While the house provided a physical space for them to meet, the safe haven was actually in themselves: a collective comfort away from the harshness of their latchkey-kid lives. Flash-forward to present day and Mikey, our book's protagonist, is thirty years old and suffering from the clouded vision of early-onset macular degeneration. As a result, he literally doesn't see life clearly but also has an inability to establish human connection. He takes his joy from quietly documenting the rest of the Gunners: Alice, a ballsy, brash lesbian marina owner with a lot of opinions; Lynn, a gifted pianist with a severed finger and weekly Alcoholics Anonymous commitment; Sam, an Everyman and born again christian; and Jimmy, a math genius who struck investment gold in Los Angeles but owns a lake house near the Gunners' hometown.
The last member of the group is the most significant, as it is she who draws them all back together. Sally, the daughter of an alcoholic and cruel woman is the group's most sensitive and vulnerable member. Despite this, she became the group's keeper. While the Gunners did find comfort in each other, the consistent denial of their realities meant feelings and secrets festered, but as the novel goes on, we realise it is Sally whose shoulders carried the emotional burden. As a result, in highschool, Sally distanced herself from the group of friends before stopping speaking to them altogether. She remained in their hometown, along with Mikey, but she lived a life of solitude up until the point when she takes her own life. Sally died harboring the dark secrets of her friends but it is her death that unites them once again.
The narrative moves back and forth in time as the novel progresses and it is through the present-day chapters that we begin to see the characters emerge. In coming back together, the Gunners revisit the past and explore their realities, attempting to make peace with themselves and each other. Each is convinced that theirs was the burden that drove Sally to leave the group and eventually take her own life but when they begin to reveal what they kept hidden as children, truths are uncovered. Mikey, in particular, needs to confront feelings he has about his relationship with his father. Much of Mikey's darkness comes from experiences he had as a child and teenager, experiences that led to him creating an impenetrable emotional distance between him and those in his life. While all of the characters are fully fleshed-out and expertly evoked, it is Mikey who stands out. Despite his preference for distance over intimacy, Mikey's empathy and compassion are obvious. I loved him for his gentle ways and his steadfastness, his loyalty and his heart. But this isn't just about likability: what we take away from this book isn't how likable the characters are, because of course they are flawed. It is about the genuine affection between these characters and the love and concern these friends have for each other that make this story so believable and inviting. Despite this book's quiet power, the Gunners draw you into their emotional and heart-wrenching narrative and leave you hoping for their happiness.
This is a story about truth, friendship and forgiveness. It is about creating a home outside of your family; creating a family when you feel you don't belong with your own; being accepted without necessarily being understood. It is also about how one moment, one decision can inexplicably change our path in life. The Gunners is startlingly beautiful and tender, poignant and meaningful.
With writing that is both observant and astute, Rebecca Kauffman has cemented herself as one of the most important young writers of our generation. 5 stars.
April 26, 2018
3.5 stars
This was a sneaky little book. It slowly lured me in until I was completely under its spell.
I started reading this thinking it’s a nice and easy read about the lives and secrets of childhood friends. Some of which I liked better than others.
But towards the 2/3 mark I found myself really caring for all them, even Alice who initially irritated the ever living crap out of me.
Six neighbourhood friends who named themselves “The Gunners” suddenly fractures in high school when Sally breaks away with no warning.
The estranged friends reunite 10 years later for Sally’s funeral, each still believing that they were the reason why Sally left, and each gets a turn to relive their childhood memories and reveal deep seated secrets. On the surface this sounds like a sweet and uncomplicated story but this is a book with a lot more layers than I initially thought.
This is obviously an ode to friendship but what I loved more was the complicated relationship between Mikey and his father and the redefinition of what constitutes family.
I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this and can recommend it with no reservation.
This was a sneaky little book. It slowly lured me in until I was completely under its spell.
I started reading this thinking it’s a nice and easy read about the lives and secrets of childhood friends. Some of which I liked better than others.
But towards the 2/3 mark I found myself really caring for all them, even Alice who initially irritated the ever living crap out of me.
Six neighbourhood friends who named themselves “The Gunners” suddenly fractures in high school when Sally breaks away with no warning.
The estranged friends reunite 10 years later for Sally’s funeral, each still believing that they were the reason why Sally left, and each gets a turn to relive their childhood memories and reveal deep seated secrets. On the surface this sounds like a sweet and uncomplicated story but this is a book with a lot more layers than I initially thought.
This is obviously an ode to friendship but what I loved more was the complicated relationship between Mikey and his father and the redefinition of what constitutes family.
I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this and can recommend it with no reservation.
July 6, 2018
A pretty lacklustre redo of an equally unspectacular film—The Big Chill, only with Generation X characters. Instead of friends who met in college, we have friends who met in childhood and used to congregate in abandoned house (formerly owned by “The Gunners”) in Lackawanna, a derelict suburb of Buffalo, New York. The greater part of the book consists of conversation and spilled secrets when the group meets for a funeral. (One of the friends commits suicide when all of the friends are in their late 20s.) The writing is competent enough, but overall I found the book bland and unengaging. I suspect I was supposed to be warmed by the message about enduring friendship. I was not. One character’s visit to the slaughterhouse where his father works just horrified me. I cannot stand that kind of subject matter and the author’s reason for including it was transparently stupid. I did not like this book.
November 5, 2025
The Gunners is a novel that explores the bonds of lifelong friendship, the kind of friendship that sets roots in your early years and continues to grow into adulthood. There is something special about your first friends. I saw one of my very first friends last year, one I hadn't seen in decades, but we just picked up right where we left off as if no time had passed since we last saw each other.
This story begins as five childhood friends, now in their early 30s, reunite at the funeral of their estranged friend, Sally, who has just committed suicide. The chapters alternate between the past and present as the friends express guilt and reveal secrets in hopes of trying to understand the loss of Sally.
Quite a few of the blurbs in the first pages compared The Gunners to the movie The Big Chill and I think it is an apt comparison. Think The Big Chill for young Gen X-ers or older Millennials. (I had to look up the ages of those two groups to make sure. 😄)
I fell in love with the writing of Rebecca Kauffman when I first read Chorus, so much so that I made it a goal to read all of her works and The Gunners completes her bibliography for me so far. This one is not my favorite of her novels, but that often happens when I compare an author's work against one I deem my favorite.
This story begins as five childhood friends, now in their early 30s, reunite at the funeral of their estranged friend, Sally, who has just committed suicide. The chapters alternate between the past and present as the friends express guilt and reveal secrets in hopes of trying to understand the loss of Sally.
Quite a few of the blurbs in the first pages compared The Gunners to the movie The Big Chill and I think it is an apt comparison. Think The Big Chill for young Gen X-ers or older Millennials. (I had to look up the ages of those two groups to make sure. 😄)
I fell in love with the writing of Rebecca Kauffman when I first read Chorus, so much so that I made it a goal to read all of her works and The Gunners completes her bibliography for me so far. This one is not my favorite of her novels, but that often happens when I compare an author's work against one I deem my favorite.
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