What happens when a self-proclaimed prophet predicts that the world will end in two weeks? That is the inciting incident for Lin Enger’s American Gospel, a 251-page novel set in August 1974, the same month Richard Nixon resigned the presidency following the Watergate scandal. The primary setting of the novel…
Local Ojibwe Legend Finally Set Straight by Native American Author Review by Victor R. Volkman The Legend of Kitch-iti-kipi, by Carole Lynn Hare, is a retelling of the eponymous myth as passed down through generations of Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa (Ojibwe) Indian band. The author, whose Native American name is…
Latest Jack Handler Thriller Deals With Soo Locks Explosion Review by Tyler R. Tichelaar Sault: What Could be Worse than Great Lakes Erosion? is the fourteenth Jack Handler novel by Michael Carrier. That said, it can be read as a stand-alone book with little trouble. I have not yet read…
A Slice of Life from Chippewa County and Environs from 1960s to Today West of the River, North of the Bridge is the second (following Hitchhiking After Dark: Offbeat Stories from a Small Town) in Rich Hill’s series of short story anthologies about life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan….
New Novel Reveals Pain of Native American Children Taken from Families Review by Tyler R. Tichelaar Linda LeGarde Grover’s new novel, In the Night of Memory, is a powerful and moving story about two young girls who lose their mother. Dedicated to “the missing Native women and all who grieve…
Reviewed by Donna Winters This collaborative work Yooper Women—Guts, Grit & Grace—Stories Around the Camp Fire is way more than its title suggests. In it, you will find several mini-biographies of Upper Peninsula women, as well as many unrelated writings: poetry, spirituality, self-promotion, opinion pieces and reprinted magazine and Internet…
Christ Child Helps Calm an Anxious Lamb Review by Deborah K. Frontiera There are thousands, maybe millions, of “Christmas” books out there—but most of them focus on the secular aspects of the holiday, rather than Christmas as the birth of Jesus. Among the books with Jesus as the center, it’s…
Men of Conscience Imprisoned in the U.P. Review by Deborah K. Frontiera My first reaction to Jane Kopecky’s book, World War II Conscientious Objectors: Germfask, Michigan, was, “Wow! I never knew that.” As I dove into the book, I realized what an incredible amount of research the author had done…
Novel Documents an Historic Experiment in Faith and Society in the U.P. Review by Donna Winters What happens when a compassionate, homesteading preacher invites a power-hungry visionary to transform his community into a product-sharing village? Such is the case in Eden Waits, by Maryka Biaggio. This author, the great-great-great-granddaughter of…
Eino Koski’s Legacy Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman Allan Koski’s book Another Time, Another Place is a heartfelt and compelling memoir about his father Eino Koski’s contribution to the Pacific theatre in World War II. Although Eino passed away in 2009, his son Allan managed to complete the manuscript with…
Kawbawgam Finally Tells the True Tale of Marquette’s Most Famous Chief Reviewed by Victor R. Volkman Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man by Tyler R. Tichelaar, PhD, is the first woke history of Native Americans in Upper Michigan that I have read. I’ll go so far as to presume…
Wildlife Photography was Born in the U.P. EDITORS NOTE: George Shiras III always referred to himself as George Shiras 3d in all matters so that convention is used here. Outside of Marquette County, there may be few people who understand the full legacy of George Shiras 3d and his contributions…
A Delightful Supernatural Tale of Mystery on Lake Superior Craig Brockman’s debut adult novel Dead of November is a spine-tingling psychological and supernatural thriller which spans both American and Canadian shores of Lake Superior. The story follows psychologist Adam Knowles whose grief for the loss of his wife Julie LaFevre…
Could a Small Town in the U.P. be the Origin of the World’s Premier Winter Sport? Dr. William Sproule, a recently retired professor of civil and environmental engineering from Michigan Tech University, wrote the new book Houghton: The Birthplace of Professional Hockey with the hopes of cementing the Keewenaw’s crucial…
Lively Retelling of a Biblical Standard Review by Victor R. Volkman The Hungry Kitten’s Tale (Rivershore Books), written by Elizabeth Fust and illustrated by Mary MacArthur, is an imaginative fresh take on the old biblical story of the “loaves and the fishes” from the Gospel of Matthew. In case you…
A colorful and educational romp in Michigan’s National Park I Spy… Isle Royale, by Susanna Ausema, is a colorful and educational romp through the flora, fauna and geology of Michigan’s only remaining national park. Isle Royale is unique in so many ways it’s hard to list them all. The island…
A Playful Introduction to Swedish Culture Review by Victor R. Volkman A to Zåäö: Playing with History at the American Swedish Institute, by mother-and-son team Tara Sweeney and Nate Christopherson, is a playful introduction to Swedish culture and language. This coffee table quality hardcover from University of Minnesota Press is…
Native American Novel for Middle Grade Readers Entertains and Educates Review by Victor R. Volkman Ann Dallman’s debut middle grade novel Cady and the Bear Necklace is an enthralling tale that is equal parts mystery and first-love pangs. Cady Whirlwind Thunder is a Native American girl in the 8th grade…
