Taking Care of Cleo

Obviously well-researched and therefore fascinating, this book is most interesting for its portrayal of prohibition-era rural Michigan, with the added twist of being set in a resort town that varies between winter provincialism and summer urbanity. That said, the characters are also well-drawn and would make for an exciting story in any setting. Overall a pleasure to read; I would highly recommend this book.

Having met the author, and also born and raised in Detroit just 4 years after the events in the novel, I may be a bit biased. However, Bill Broder is a true word smith and a natural story teller. He recaptures the life and style of the location, Charlevoix Michigan, as well as the era. People today probably cannot imagine the immense wealth along with the extreme violence that existed in the pre-depression time. Broder's setting of a northern Michigan resort is a perfect venue for the characters---masters and servants---pursuing their individual passions, hopes, ambitions. During the brief summer vacation period, what in daily reality is a gentile community, is suddenly populated with Jewish families coming from all parts of the midwest. There follows an accomodation from all sides without expectations of egalitarianism. To me the plot of the novel, while interesting and necessary, is incidental to the descriptive recapturing of the era and its players. A very satisfying read.