Visiting Tom - A Man, a Highway, and the Road to Roughneck Grace

“Somewhere between Garrison Keillor’s idyllic-sweet Lake Wobegon and the narrow-mindedness of Sinclair Lewis’s Main Street lies the reality of small-town life. This is where Michael Perry lives.”
—St. Paul Pioneer Press

“Perry can take comfort in the power of his writing, his ability to pull readers from all corners onto his Wisconsin spread, and make them feel right at home.”
—Seattle Times

Tuesdays with Morrie meets Bill Bryson in Visiting Tom, a witty, poignant, and heartfelt memoir from Michael Perry. The author of Population: 485, Coop, and Truck: A Love Story, Perry takes us along on his uplifting visits with his octogenarian neighbor one valley over in rural Wisconsin—and celebrates the wisdom, heart, and sass of a vanishing generation that embodies the indomitable spirit of small-town America.

What happens when a superhighway runs through a man’s front yard—and his unshakable spirit?

An Unforgettable Friendship: Join Michael Perry as he visits his octogenarian neighbor, Tom, a man of profound wisdom, surprising sass, and a workshop that has to be seen to be believed. Heart of the American Heartland: A vivid portrait of rural Wisconsin, where a quiet farm is split by a roaring interstate but the owner’s indomitable spirit remains untouched. Vanishing Skills and Self-Reliance: Discover a world of roughneck grace, from building a cannon that actually fires to pounding a sawmill blade true, celebrating the ingenuity of a vanishing generation. Laugh-Out-Loud Storytelling: With the signature wit that has earned him comparisons to Bill Bryson, Perry finds humor and humanity in everything from homemade welders to chicken-killing weasels.