• The book: Population: 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time (HarperCollins; $24.95).

• The writer: Michael Perry, registered nurse and former working cowboy.

• The plot: After 12 years away, Mr. Perry returns to his hometown of New Auburn, Wis. (population 485) where he becomes a member of the volunteer fire and rescue department.

"Perry mixes his tales of heroic rescues with his stories of small-town life ... Tragic at times, funny at others, Perry's memoir will appeal to anyone curious about small-town life," said the Booklist review.

• The signings: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Books & Co., Town & Country Shopping Center, 350 E. Stroop Road, Kettering, (937) 298-6540; 7 p.m. Thursday, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Edwards and Madison roads, Norwood, 396-8960.