Review by Sharon Brunner
Jon C. Stott embraces the advent of the seasons, the mysterious and magical allure of nature and many treasured memories in his book “Wild Blueberry Summer: More Upper Michigan Moments and Memories.” Some of the main characters in his book were woodland creatures, waterfowl, old friends and his family. His father encouraged his love of nature by taking his family on regular family outings in May of each year to Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island in British Columbia in Canada. The other main locations in the story were Crooked Lake at the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.) near Munising where his treasured cabin and experiences were located and Albuquerque, New Mexico which he referred to as the City of Pavement Gray. Stott did not talk highly about his Albuquerque home. He referred to it as crime-infested and not a quiet and tranquil place to live. Stott’s family discovered the treasured cabin while they were staying at a campground and went out hiking around the area. They saw the cabin was for sale and purchased it. Stott offered an escape from the hustle and bustle of life to the wonders of the great outdoors and all its splendor.
Some of the themes I discovered throughout the book were: we must care about and take care of nature; the importance of place and memories and the lessons provided to us by the Anishinaabe. Stott mentioned the term querencia which means the spiritual, intellectual and emotional love of a place. Not just the physical landscape, but the place’s history, its people, other beings who live there and the spiritual essence of it. Because of his love of the Small Cabin in the Big Woods, he could not do anything to cause harm to the nature that surrounded the cabin. Every year he rakes the leaves and cleans up the area around the cabin. A neighbor offered to provide him with machinery to make that job easier. He watched his neighbor as he gathered the leaves into one large pile and set fire to them. He could not do that. He had to protect nature and not cause a fire by accident. He returned to his rake and wheelbarrow to clean up the land. He used the terms the Anishinaabe used to define the months such as Miini-Giizis as the name of the Blueberry Moon. The Anishinaabe had a lot of respect for nature and the lessons it provided.
The book that came to mind when reading Stott’s book was Edwar Benton-Benai’s book called “The Mishomis Book: The Voices of the Ojibway.” I had the good fortune of meeting Benton-Benai at a Treaty Summit held in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. His book is a creation story and he defined the importance of many animals and birds. They represented the various clans. For example the bear clan provided policing and medicine for the Anishinaabe. Benton-Benai told the creation story in the Ojibwe language, Anishinaabemowin and then repeated the story in English at the summit. He helped me come up with the proper name for coyote in Anishinaabemowin during a break. The movie that came to mind while reading this book was “A Walk in the Woods” starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson that came out on September 2, 2015. Two older men decided to hike the Appalachian Trail. Many hikers pass them even children. They fall down a step rocky cliff and are saved by other hikers. After three months they realized they only hiked half the trail and ended up returning to their homes. I was struck by the nature that was displayed during the movie like Stott brings to life in his book.
Anyone who really knows me knows I love hiking by myself and with my spouse and our dog. My favorite places involve the woods, and I love being in nature. Stott’s description of the scenery and wildlife made me want to visit his cabin. I discovered on many occasions that the Munising area was filled with many natural wonders such as numerous waterfalls. We camped at the campgrounds in that area. I have cousins who live in Munising. My husband and I have camped at rustic campgrounds in another areas of the U.P. to get the full experience of being in the woods. One of the campgrounds were located near the North Country Trail and we hiked on that trail. The commonalities between the book and my experiences were also associated with what I loved about Stott’s book.
I am a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and a part of the Anishinaabe origins referred to in Stott’s book. I have studied cultural customs for many years. The wildlife pictures he provided captured the beauty of the Upper Peninsula. I was happy when the loons finally made their appearance on Crooked Lake. Sharon Kennedy described in the foreword she provided good points about the book such as becoming acquainted with flora and fauna, with the woodland filled with trees and a life at the lake and all its majestic qualities. Stott’s love of nature was quite evident throughout the book. I like how Stott mentioned how he learned he was like his father. His father documented their experiences when they went camping and he followed suit. I am learning that I have an artistic ability that my mother possessed, painting with watercolors. There were so many things in Stott’s book I could relate to and really liked.
I recommend Wild Blueberry Summer for its treasured descriptions of nature; because of its rendition of the importance of positive memories; for its association to the Anishinaabe culture and for its candid surmise of the importance of family and other relationships. Stott brought to life the beauty of nature, about the refreshing dip in the lake and importance of family memories. He had a lot of positive memories about May 24th and the beginning of spring spent at a camping area in Canada as a child. He painted a solemn picture of the City of Pavement Gray and the pictures of the cabin on the wall brought him some solace while at the city. The Anishinaabe were a large part of the history of Upper Peninsula and Stott brought their existence to life in his book. The blueberry muffins he has prepared throughout the winter months remind his daughter and him of the delightful experiences at the cabin. Stott brought to life his excitement of arriving at the Little Cabin in the Big Woods and the joy of greeting old friends, meaning people, birds and forest animals and he reminded us of the progression of the seasons.
Title: Wild Blueberry Summer: More Upper Michigan Moments and Memories
Author: Jon C. Stott
