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Bratwurst Haven: Stories
Linked stories trace the vocational and emotional bargains made by workers at a Colorado sausage factory.
It’s almost a decade after the Great Recession, and in Colorado, St. Anthony Sausage has not recovered. Neither have its employees: a laid-off railway engineer, an exiled computer whiz, a young woman estranged from her infant daughter, an older man with cancer who lacks health care. As these low-wage workers interact under the supervision of the factory’s owner and his quietly rebellious daughter, they come to understand that in America’s postindustrial landscape, although they may help or comfort each other, they also have to do what’s best for themselves.
Over the course of these twelve interrelated stories, Rachel King gives life to diverse, complex, and authentic characters who are linked through the sausage factory and through their daily lives in a vividly rendered small town in Boulder County. The internal and external struggles of Bratwurst Haven’s population are immediately and intimately relatable and resonant: these people seek answers within the world they inhabit while questioning what it means to want more from their lives.
It’s almost a decade after the Great Recession, and in Colorado, St. Anthony Sausage has not recovered. Neither have its employees: a laid-off railway engineer, an exiled computer whiz, a young woman estranged from her infant daughter, an older man with cancer who lacks health care. As these low-wage workers interact under the supervision of the factory’s owner and his quietly rebellious daughter, they come to understand that in America’s postindustrial landscape, although they may help or comfort each other, they also have to do what’s best for themselves.
Over the course of these twelve interrelated stories, Rachel King gives life to diverse, complex, and authentic characters who are linked through the sausage factory and through their daily lives in a vividly rendered small town in Boulder County. The internal and external struggles of Bratwurst Haven’s population are immediately and intimately relatable and resonant: these people seek answers within the world they inhabit while questioning what it means to want more from their lives.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
168 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Rachel King
5 books16 followersRachel King is the author of two poetry chapbooks, the novel PEOPLE ALONG THE SAND, and the linked collection BRATWURST HAVEN, winner of a 2023 Colorado Book Award. Her short stories have appeared in One Story, North American Review, Green Mountains Review, Northwest Review, and elsewhere. After living and working in several regions of the United States, she has settled in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 26, 2022
I'm not sure why but I thoroughly enjoyed this little book of connected stories. It was gentle and interesting and I couldn't stop reading them.
The stories are all set around the town of St Anthony, its residents and workers - those who have been there for their whole lives and others who have come to the town for its peace or scenery or for a job. These are just every day stories but Rachel King manages to infuse something beautiful and magical into each one.
I certainly would struggle to pick a favourite because they all had a different "voice" - from the daughter of the meatpacking factory's manager wanting to make changes to the various workers in different stages of their working lives to those heading for retirement or the end of their lives. Some had me in tears, some had me smiling.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes to read books that give a true sense of life in a real community in small town America. I will definitely read more by this author.
I was delighted to receive an advance review copy for free, thanks to BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The stories are all set around the town of St Anthony, its residents and workers - those who have been there for their whole lives and others who have come to the town for its peace or scenery or for a job. These are just every day stories but Rachel King manages to infuse something beautiful and magical into each one.
I certainly would struggle to pick a favourite because they all had a different "voice" - from the daughter of the meatpacking factory's manager wanting to make changes to the various workers in different stages of their working lives to those heading for retirement or the end of their lives. Some had me in tears, some had me smiling.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes to read books that give a true sense of life in a real community in small town America. I will definitely read more by this author.
I was delighted to receive an advance review copy for free, thanks to BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 20, 2022
I very much enjoyed reading about the quietly important lives of the characters in these linked stories. I particularly liked the way many of the stories faded into a not quite resolved ending, looking at a future that was definitely there but not necessarily clear to the protagonist, and therefore not to the reader. That felt very true, right on target. I loved “At the Lake,” with the relationship that is just a whisper, really, a bud that never flowers, between a librarian and a young woman forced to give up her baby juxtaposed to that of the librarian who is trying to resolve her conflict with her husband and figure out how they might be able to come together again. There was so much emotional beauty in that story.
December 2, 2022
Interlinked lives, interlinked sketches, set in small-town Colorado, about a group of colleagues at a sausage factory and the people they meet. It is almost Garrison-Keillor-esque, but without the humour. I haven’t read enough Anne Tyler to be able to say for certain, but I think it has a similar feel to her writing, but not set within a single dysfunctional family.
It’s probably best if you view the book as individual stories, rather than one long narrative. I felt like there were some things happening in people’s lives which weren’t resolved in the time frame of the book. For instance, what happened to Elena or Pavel? Both at a low ebb. One having mental issues, the other an ex-teacher selling drugs after losing his teaching licence. Even though some of the things going on are traumatic, everything is told in a rather dispassionate reporting fashion. It never really flew, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading Bratwurst Haven because people’s stories are always interesting.
Each story centres on a certain employee and tells something of their story and their problems. Sometimes they are at work, at the bar or at home. One story is about sisters who have grown apart, taking a road trip to Oregon to visit their ageing mother. One story even turns into a ghost story.
The characters are diverse in age, origin and background. Some expect to spend their whole working lives at the sausage factory, others are waiting for something better to turn up, others will leave before the end. There are also a number of stories about people who just happen to live in the Colorado town where the factory stands, St. Anthony or who have a relationship with one of the sausage factory workers. Sometimes we visit Boulder, a city I’ve bern to and it seemed almost like a European city, though that’s not something evident in these stories.
This is set over a number of years, with flashbacks to former lives and sharing hopes for the future. At the start, Lance has lost his train driving job due to the recession, but hopes to get it back “when we elected a president who would push for more gas and oil extraction, railway jobs would once again start to flow.” This new president is obviously Donald Trump, placing it in 2016, but it also extends as far as 2020 when the Covid pandemic reared its ugly head.
Word I learnt: bump cap
A baseball-style cap reinforced to provide light head protection.
Recommended for anyone who likes small-town tales of everyday folk. Personally I would have preferred it to coalesce into a scene where most of the characters met up, either at work or in the bar. A funeral would have been ideal. A final toast to Joey, perhaps. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to see Cynthia’s mural on the cover or the design for the food truck? I think Cynthia the barmaid was my favourite character, perhaps because she linked with several other characters. I think these stories will stick in my mind after all, precisely because they’re not all resolved.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy as an ebook via Book Sirens. Nevertheless, I am free to express my own opinions, whether they be positive or negative.
It’s probably best if you view the book as individual stories, rather than one long narrative. I felt like there were some things happening in people’s lives which weren’t resolved in the time frame of the book. For instance, what happened to Elena or Pavel? Both at a low ebb. One having mental issues, the other an ex-teacher selling drugs after losing his teaching licence. Even though some of the things going on are traumatic, everything is told in a rather dispassionate reporting fashion. It never really flew, but nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading Bratwurst Haven because people’s stories are always interesting.
Each story centres on a certain employee and tells something of their story and their problems. Sometimes they are at work, at the bar or at home. One story is about sisters who have grown apart, taking a road trip to Oregon to visit their ageing mother. One story even turns into a ghost story.
The characters are diverse in age, origin and background. Some expect to spend their whole working lives at the sausage factory, others are waiting for something better to turn up, others will leave before the end. There are also a number of stories about people who just happen to live in the Colorado town where the factory stands, St. Anthony or who have a relationship with one of the sausage factory workers. Sometimes we visit Boulder, a city I’ve bern to and it seemed almost like a European city, though that’s not something evident in these stories.
This is set over a number of years, with flashbacks to former lives and sharing hopes for the future. At the start, Lance has lost his train driving job due to the recession, but hopes to get it back “when we elected a president who would push for more gas and oil extraction, railway jobs would once again start to flow.” This new president is obviously Donald Trump, placing it in 2016, but it also extends as far as 2020 when the Covid pandemic reared its ugly head.
Word I learnt: bump cap
A baseball-style cap reinforced to provide light head protection.
Recommended for anyone who likes small-town tales of everyday folk. Personally I would have preferred it to coalesce into a scene where most of the characters met up, either at work or in the bar. A funeral would have been ideal. A final toast to Joey, perhaps. And wouldn’t it be wonderful to see Cynthia’s mural on the cover or the design for the food truck? I think Cynthia the barmaid was my favourite character, perhaps because she linked with several other characters. I think these stories will stick in my mind after all, precisely because they’re not all resolved.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy as an ebook via Book Sirens. Nevertheless, I am free to express my own opinions, whether they be positive or negative.
August 11, 2022
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of BRATWURST HAVEN, and gosh do I feel lucky to have had this chance. I loved it.
The linked stories in BRATWURST HAVEN are set in a small town in Denver. The stories are compelling and varied. Told with spare and plainspoken language, each story creates a tension that makes the reader want to know what will happen next. The characters often make choices that lead to further difficulties and there is a realness and humanity that makes these stories so readable, reflecting the lives of ordinary people trying to get by, characters so many of us can relate to.
I can't wait for other readers to get their hands on this book. And to read more work by Rachel King.
The linked stories in BRATWURST HAVEN are set in a small town in Denver. The stories are compelling and varied. Told with spare and plainspoken language, each story creates a tension that makes the reader want to know what will happen next. The characters often make choices that lead to further difficulties and there is a realness and humanity that makes these stories so readable, reflecting the lives of ordinary people trying to get by, characters so many of us can relate to.
I can't wait for other readers to get their hands on this book. And to read more work by Rachel King.
October 25, 2022
Wow. This. THIS is why I love reading so much.
Bratwurst Haven is a prime example why a reader lives a thousand lives. We are presented with twelve interlinked stories, each story following one character that is somehow connected to a sausage factory in Colorado. St. Anthony Sausage has never really recovered after the Great Recession and almost a decade later we get to see the daily lives of some compelling and diverse characters linked to the factory. These stories show glimpses of these wonderful and complex individuals, their hopes and dreams, yet they represent something so, so much bigger.
Each story felt different, the characters had their own voices, and while technically not possible, all of them were a standout. I loved each and every story, and I loved them altogether. Really. Some were raw, other were (bitter)sweet, and all of them felt authentic. Ultimately these individuals navigate through life, not knowing what the future holds, just like anyone of us - and Rachel King did a superb job capturing it all.
Highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Bratwurst Haven is a prime example why a reader lives a thousand lives. We are presented with twelve interlinked stories, each story following one character that is somehow connected to a sausage factory in Colorado. St. Anthony Sausage has never really recovered after the Great Recession and almost a decade later we get to see the daily lives of some compelling and diverse characters linked to the factory. These stories show glimpses of these wonderful and complex individuals, their hopes and dreams, yet they represent something so, so much bigger.
Each story felt different, the characters had their own voices, and while technically not possible, all of them were a standout. I loved each and every story, and I loved them altogether. Really. Some were raw, other were (bitter)sweet, and all of them felt authentic. Ultimately these individuals navigate through life, not knowing what the future holds, just like anyone of us - and Rachel King did a superb job capturing it all.
Highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 21, 2022
There was potential here but this failed so much for me as a short story collection, and maybe it's just a me thing, but it failed on what I look for in this style of storytelling... I like the intertwining of the stories, and the way they all come back to this same place, but the stories are too long, not in size (and maybe they should be), but in time, they cover to many things and months, and in way it made it feel like a summary type thing instead of the story I wanted... I like my short stories to be a moment in time, that's how you make the size work for you, and here, for me, it didn't...
(I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of a review)
(I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of a review)
November 9, 2022
Fascinating!
What I dig were the rich physical descriptions, the actions as characterization, and the concrete feeling of living-to-work. The hard-worker mentality that lingers throughout this strange small town. Maybe too much swearing for some. I like that it echoes in Bratwurst Haven.
Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, King gives us parallels that none-too-subtly highlight how little has changed for the people living outside of the mass media narrative. How the characters who live and breathe within these tales that can still be misunderstood and misrepresented by real people to this day. That sense of feeling loss and oppression during a supposed time of recovery. Strong stuff that hits hard.
Part that distanced me was the overall emphasis on third-person telling over showing. Even with first-person narratives, it sometimes felt like characters were only distinguished by their backstories. Everybody swears ('cause that's the local lingual), everybody cares about finances ('cause they're all struggling), everybody is cynical and sardonic ('cause, let's face it, they don't have much to be happy about), and nearly everybody drinks or smokes. If it weren't for names, I might be lost on who is the main voice for a particular short story.
I understand it helps with weaving together multiple narratives, and the setting itself plays a part into that element. Yet that stuck out to me by the midway point. Wonder how spurts of black humor or another genre could have spaced out the nihilism. The ending story felt like the only breather to me.
Bratwurst Haven is an engaging short story collection. Feels like a novella in disguise. I imagine locals to Boulder County might resonate with the book more than I did. Highly recommend for anyone into a brief literary read. Maybe squeamish to vegans though, given the sausage factory.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What I dig were the rich physical descriptions, the actions as characterization, and the concrete feeling of living-to-work. The hard-worker mentality that lingers throughout this strange small town. Maybe too much swearing for some. I like that it echoes in Bratwurst Haven.
Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, King gives us parallels that none-too-subtly highlight how little has changed for the people living outside of the mass media narrative. How the characters who live and breathe within these tales that can still be misunderstood and misrepresented by real people to this day. That sense of feeling loss and oppression during a supposed time of recovery. Strong stuff that hits hard.
Part that distanced me was the overall emphasis on third-person telling over showing. Even with first-person narratives, it sometimes felt like characters were only distinguished by their backstories. Everybody swears ('cause that's the local lingual), everybody cares about finances ('cause they're all struggling), everybody is cynical and sardonic ('cause, let's face it, they don't have much to be happy about), and nearly everybody drinks or smokes. If it weren't for names, I might be lost on who is the main voice for a particular short story.
I understand it helps with weaving together multiple narratives, and the setting itself plays a part into that element. Yet that stuck out to me by the midway point. Wonder how spurts of black humor or another genre could have spaced out the nihilism. The ending story felt like the only breather to me.
Bratwurst Haven is an engaging short story collection. Feels like a novella in disguise. I imagine locals to Boulder County might resonate with the book more than I did. Highly recommend for anyone into a brief literary read. Maybe squeamish to vegans though, given the sausage factory.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 21, 2022
I received an advanced review copy for free via Book Sirens and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed and admire the writing style of this author. I'm sure there's some correct literary way to describe it but I don't know it and can only try by saying it's tight and concise whilst remaining fluent and immersive. Basically it's VERY good. The stories are supposed to all be interconnected via the people who work at a meat factory but I have to admit I wasn't always able to keep track of who was who. This is mainly because using a kindle I find it difficult/impossible to flip back and forth to remind myself of names etc the way I can in a paper book. Due to this I probably missed a few nuances in a couple of the stories but mostly it didn't matter. The characters are extremely well drawn without the writer needing to resort to endless description and the reader is given a very strong sense of the essence of each one with what seems like effortless prose but each word and each story is obviously extremely considered. These vignette's of "normal" lives could be seen as mundane and everyday in their subject matter, but for me the beauty is in the writing itself. Not a word is out of place or extraneous. It gave me that special feeling of being "safe" in the writers hands because she knows exactly what she's doing and I could just go along and enjoy the ride so to speak. It only misses out on 5 stars by a tiny margin. I'll be looking for more of her work.
I really enjoyed and admire the writing style of this author. I'm sure there's some correct literary way to describe it but I don't know it and can only try by saying it's tight and concise whilst remaining fluent and immersive. Basically it's VERY good. The stories are supposed to all be interconnected via the people who work at a meat factory but I have to admit I wasn't always able to keep track of who was who. This is mainly because using a kindle I find it difficult/impossible to flip back and forth to remind myself of names etc the way I can in a paper book. Due to this I probably missed a few nuances in a couple of the stories but mostly it didn't matter. The characters are extremely well drawn without the writer needing to resort to endless description and the reader is given a very strong sense of the essence of each one with what seems like effortless prose but each word and each story is obviously extremely considered. These vignette's of "normal" lives could be seen as mundane and everyday in their subject matter, but for me the beauty is in the writing itself. Not a word is out of place or extraneous. It gave me that special feeling of being "safe" in the writers hands because she knows exactly what she's doing and I could just go along and enjoy the ride so to speak. It only misses out on 5 stars by a tiny margin. I'll be looking for more of her work.
September 9, 2022
Short story collections seem to naturally fall into two categories — random stories unified by a topic or author, and those unified by a common vision. Such are the stories of Elizabeth Strout as she records the life of Olive Kitteridge or Lucy Barton and such is Rachel King’s Bratwurst Haven. This collection puts a magnifying glass to the small impoverished lives of the residents of a small impoverished Colorado community. The town has never recovered from the economic recession of 2008 and we see how deeply wounded the workers are. I have never read fiction set in Colorado but it is not far from the depressed lives of Maine or other blue collar communities dependent on forces beyond their control.
The characters are drawn with a sympathetic eye, and we follow men and women as they slip into each other’s stories, trying to stay afloat. Some of the stronger characters like Meg, the daughter of factory owner Gus, give the reader a sense of hope, but weak or strong, they are clearly loved by the author who shares that love with her readers. I hope like Elizabeth Strout, Rachel King will continue to present her flawed but lovely characters to the world.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The characters are drawn with a sympathetic eye, and we follow men and women as they slip into each other’s stories, trying to stay afloat. Some of the stronger characters like Meg, the daughter of factory owner Gus, give the reader a sense of hope, but weak or strong, they are clearly loved by the author who shares that love with her readers. I hope like Elizabeth Strout, Rachel King will continue to present her flawed but lovely characters to the world.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 17, 2022
The book is composed of a series of interconnected short stories about marginalized and working class people living in Boulder County, Colorado who work at, or are connected to someone who works at a rundown local sausage factory that pays its workers minimum wage with no breaks, no benefits and no overtime. The stories are well written, literate and, for the most part, work well in developing the protagonists’ characters, and portraying the problems and travails they face on a daily basis.
February 2, 2023
Having grown up in a small town, I found this little collection to be relatable in the best way. This book manages to achieve depth while only offering a glimpse into its characters' lives. The author has a strong grasp on perspective, and everything comes together cohesively, reading like a novella in stories. Impressive stuff.
February 24, 2023
I loved everything about this. The stories were poignant and really captured the interior of people; how many people that you see on a regular basis do you not know a thing about? Having this set where we currently live was just icing on the cake. This is as much about place as it is about people. Highly recommend for those that live in Boulder as well as everyone else!
March 31, 2023
You know sometimes when you pick up a book, you instantly know it's going to be one of your favourites? That's what happened to me while reading Bratwurst Haven - a collection of short stories. The writing was SO GOOD. A few lines and I was sold. The characters really stood out and I loved knowing each of their stories. Highly recommended!
March 3, 2023
I loved this book! King’s characters instantly take you into their worlds. I at once felt compassion, sadness, intrigue and pity. Each character made me feel deeply and not want to stop turning the page! Highly recommend!
October 24, 2023
Delightful and interconnected slice-of-life/slice-of-sausage stories.
+
“It was Monday, the men would be done cutting meat by now, and on to the grinder and sealer. She knew the routine, the scents, the gossip that relieved the monotony.”
+
“It was Monday, the men would be done cutting meat by now, and on to the grinder and sealer. She knew the routine, the scents, the gossip that relieved the monotony.”
February 7, 2025
I wish I had taken notes on all the characters from the beginning. I think I would have enjoyed the interconnectivity of the stories more.
September 1, 2025
Stories about people, with the central thread being a sausage factory. Plain, but beautiful.
September 25, 2023
I had the good luck to know the writer who interviewed Rachel King at her Politics & Prose reading in Washington, DC, back in November. After hearing King read, I purchased Bratwurst Haven. Then I had the good sense to actually begin the book. Finishing it was effortless--King’s characters held me fast. The world she builds in these linked stories reflects the reality of how we live, each person absorbed in their own tale, brushing up against another’s at work, the local bar, the library, or the town lake. The quiver of satisfaction that I realized on page 87, discovering the next development in a life I’d grown attached to on page 26—there is magic in this structure. And there is majesty in King’s simple prose. Eat each of these stories up, I say, like the brats from the food truck in Boulder County. To revel in our interconnectedness is the ultimate nourishment for our souls.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews