A Forty Year Kiss – Nickolas Butler
Bellying up to the local (and likely only) bar in a small Midwestern town is one of the great cultural experiences one can have to see real America. Every patron has a story — some tragic, some triumphant — and if you order enough domestic beer, you’ll likely hear a few. It is in one of these bars that our story begins and where Nickolas Butler found his inspiration for “A Forty Year Kiss,” a novel about love, regret and redemption.
Charlie and Vivian, former spouses whose lives diverged after a short and troubled marriage, find themselves drawn back together four decades later. This setup makes “Kiss” equal parts love story and reckoning, exploring the scars left by time, addiction and the search for meaning and connection in one’s later years.
The opening chapters set up a poignant tension as Charlie returns to Wisconsin with a singular goal: reconnecting with Vivian. Butler, known for his realistic portrayals of the Midwest, renders Chippewa Falls not just as a backdrop but as a living character.
Their reconnection happens fast — perhaps too fast. After just a few Facebook messages and phone calls, they plunge into physical and emotional intimacy, despite the bitterness that once ended their marriage. The pace strained believability, but it allowed Butler to examine the pull of second chances and the impulsive choices loneliness can provoke.
Charlie is perpetually haunted by shame — over his past failures as a husband, his broken relationships and a lifelong struggle with drinking. While never framed as an outright alcoholic, his reliance on alcohol is a destructive force that cost him three marriages and continues to test his ability to change.
Vivian, meanwhile, never fully realized her self-worth, shaped by years of caring for others. Now living with her daughter, Melissa, and raising two granddaughters, she remains hesitant to demand more for herself. This dynamic creates friction in her relationship with Charlie, as his presence opens old wounds while also offering a tempting vision of what could be.
The novel’s emotional core lies in the push-and-pull between nostalgia and reality. Butler captures this complexity in moments of joy — Charlie buying her a horse, their shared laughter — but also in the darker realities of addiction and long-held secrets. The strongest parts of the novel are when Charlie and Vivian confront their past, exposing the raw edges of their history. This is a fairytale of sorts, but one shaped by conflict rather than blissful inevitability.
Alcoholism looms over the pages, and Butler handles it with an authenticity that suggests lived experience. One of the most powerful moments comes when Charlie helps a drunk stranger back to his hotel room, witnessing the exasperation of the man’s wife. It is a full-circle realization, with Charlie recognizing how often he was the source of that same frustration. These moments of introspection elevate the novel beyond its more predictable beats.
While the romance at times veers into saccharine territory — declarations of love come frequently, and some gestures, like the grand finale at Wrigley Field, feel cinematic to a fault — it is counterbalanced with an exploration of what it means to forgive, even if forgetting is not an option.
Though some plot points feel too convenient, I kept going because I cared about the characters and feared they were headed toward tragedy. Thankfully, Butler didn’t take the easy route and gave readers hope for their future.
While not a perfect book — perhaps more of a 3.5-star read — it earned a higher rating because Butler made me care about two imperfect people seeking solace in each other. In the end, Charlie and Vivian’s story is less about love conquering all and more about the simple, human desire to believe you deserve more.
As far as the audiobook goes, Richard Poe’s voice perfectly captured Charlie’s weariness and quiet desperation, adding an extra dimension to the character’s internal struggles. However, a dual narration might have enhanced the experience, particularly in capturing Vivian’s perspective with greater nuance.
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): 3/5 stars
Format: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: March 2 - March 5, 2025
Multi-tasking: Good to go. This was a road trip book, and Butler’s writing was the perfect companion as I drove through northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.
