JUST RELEASED: “34/4”, A THRILLING NEW NOVEL SET IN SHELTON

JUST RELEASED: “34/4”, A THRILLING NEW NOVEL SET IN SHELTON

When disaster strikes on the frozen Housatonic River, everything a Shelton family believes in is called into question in the newly published novel “34/4” by Jonathan Gunger, a native of Shelton.

In “34/4” Mr. Gunger follows the lives of the fictional Taylor family who lived and worked in Shelton in the 1970s and early ‘80s, and tells the thrilling and inspiring story of their journey to rediscover peace and happiness following a tragic accident on the icy Housatonic.

While the story is a work of fiction, much of the tale itself is inspired by actual events that took place here and in the Florida Panhandle, the setting for the latter half of the 462-page book. Many of the Shelton settings, where the story unfolds, are true to life or based on reality.

Pieces of life in the valley, crossing soggy cow pastures to go trout fishing in a local stream that feeds the Far Mill Reservoir, hanging out at Indian Wells, sledding down the hill at Thompson’s (Jones’s) Tree Farm, playing Frisbee at Four Corners, wild times at Renz’s dirt pit, and other bits of daily life in Shelton and the surrounding areas are interwoven into the fabric of the story. So is the demise of Shelton’s once strong manufacturing and industrial trade. In addition to many other Shelton area landmarks in the book, local readers will recognize such sights as Shelton High School, Mohegan Road and old downtown.

“I started writing “34/4” when I was a junior at Shelton High, because it started with a short story that I wrote way back then,” said Mr. Gunger. “What astounded me at the time was the reaction I got– girls in the class were upset and even crying over what I had written. My writing had gotten a reaction, and that caught my attention.”

Mr. Gunger took up the story again in 2008, and completed it this year, some 30 years from its humble classroom beginnings.

The Shelton backdrop of the novel may serve to encourage locals to read “34/4”, however, it is likely to be the story and storytelling that captures the attention and imagination of New England readers. A non-stop emotional thrill ride, “34/4” is overflowing with the wild antics and adventures of colorful characters that leave readers both weeping and laughing out loud.

The youngest of nine children, Jonathan Gunger grew up in Huntington, where he attended public schools and graduated from Shelton High. His father supported the family by working as a contractor and cabinet maker and running a small dairy farm on Mohegan Road. Jonathan worked for a short time in a factory in Bloomfield before relocating to Niceville, Florida to establish a marine construction company with three of his brothers. Today, Mr. Gunger lives in Bonita Springs, Florida where he is a licensed building contractor and Florida Realtor, and serves on the Vestry of a local church. His experiences working with his brothers on the waterways and waterfronts of the Florida Panhandle, like his Shelton childhood, are reflected in “34/4”.

“34/4” is available at Amazon.com in paperback, hardcover and electronic formats. Readers can have a look inside the book and read sample chapters at the site, as well as purchase the book. Learn more about the novel and its author at www.jonathangunger.com.