South of Superior

Set in the fictional town of McAllaster, Michigan, on the lakeshore of Lake Superior, this novel gets to the heart of living in a tiny town in the Upper Peninsula. The setting is important due to the challenging winters, tough-to-make a living existence, and grit of the townfolks. Abandoned over thirty years ago by her mother, 30-something Madeline Stone returns to her hometown to get a fresh start and maybe close some chapters from her childhood. Sisters Gladys and Arbutus are key to getting her to McAllaster. Unmoored after the death of her caregiver and true friend, Emmy, our main character continues to drift in the weeks she spends in town. I really enjoyed this story, loosely based on life in Grand Marais, Michigan and will be looking for more stories from author Ellen Airgood.