Michigan's 20 Notable Books of 2007: A Diverse Literary Feast
January 14, 2007
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Local book, "Ghosts, Crimes & Urban Legends of Bay City, Michigan," was nominated for Michigan Notable Books Award.
The Library of Michigan has announced the 2007 Michigan Notable Books (www.michigan.gov/notablebooks), 20 books published in 2006 highlighting Michigan people, places and events.
The local book "Ghosts, Crimes and Urban Legends of Bay City, Michigan, by D. Laurence Rogers, published by Historical Press L.L.C., was among other books nominated for this honor.
"Once again, this year's list of Michigan Notable Books is one for the whole state to enjoy," said State Librarian Nancy R. Robertson. "These books tell the stories of Michigan - defining our home as a place rich with spirit, history and inspiration - and they reaffirm Michigan as a wellspring of literary energy, creativity and unique voices."
For more information about Michigan Notable Books, call (517) 373-1300, visit www.michigan.gov/notablebooks or e-mail michigannotablebooks@michigan.gov.
The 2007 Michigan Notable Books are:
Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke, by Dean Kuipers (Bloomsbury) - This detailed and readable account describes the 2001 tragedy on Tom Crosslin's and Rollie Rohm's farm in Vandalia, a rural Cass County town. Crosslin founded Rainbow Farm in 1993 as a shelter for marijuana smokers, libertarians, disconnected gays and lovers of live music.
Local authorities charged Crosslin and Rohm with growing marijuana, used social services to remove Rohm's son from the farm, and began taking the necessary steps to confiscate the property. Kuipers argues that maximum force is not always morally justified when dealing with the emotional issues surrounding the War on Drugs.
Death's Door: The Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder, by Steve Lehto (Momentum Books) - This book explores the enduring mystery and drama surrounding the 1913 Christmas Eve tragedy at Italian Hall in Calumet. After a still-unidentified man falsely cried, "Fire!" more than 70 people, many of them children, were crushed to death in the stairwell amidst the panicked crush to flee the building.
Donutheart: by Sue Stauffacher (Alfred A. Knopf) - In this young-adult sequel to Donuthead set in fictional central and west Michigan. An enthralling tale of two youngsters who each learn to make their own decisions and deal in very individual ways with a puzzling grownup world, the story is a beautiful mixture of funny and original characters, intermingled with the frustrating issues of growing up.
Fresh Water: Women Writing on the Great Lakes, edited by Alison Swan (Michigan State University Press) - The lilting, poetic language of these essays brings to life the sights, smells and sounds of Michigan's best-known resource.
Guilty at the Rapture, by Keith Taylor (Hanging Loose Press) - Heart-touching poetry and prose, filled with clear insight and humor, combine to tell stories of the human condition. The Ann Arbor poet draws from memories of a life well lived, rich in sensory details and filled with vivid emotion.
The History of Michigan Law, edited by Paul Finkelman and Martin J. Hershock (Ohio University Press) - This collection of essays by legal and academic authors traces the evolution of Michigan law, explores the state's leadership in civil rights law, the impact of industrialization, and the history of labor law.
House of Fields: Memories of a Rural Education, by Anne-Marie Oomen (Wayne State University Press) - Drawing on ordinary moments from her childhood, with settings such as her family's farmhouse and the local schoolyard, the author employs a gentle touch and poetic details to tell a compelling coming-of-age story in rural Oceana County.
Keewaydinoquay: Stories from My Youth, by Keewaydinoquay Peschel, edited by Lee Boisvert (University of Michigan Press) - Told in first-person, these stories of a Michigan woman with both Native American and white heritage shed light on the experiences of growing up in an Ojibway community in northern Michigan during the early 1900s.
Landscaping with Native Plants of Michigan, by Lynn M. Steiner (Voyageur Press) - This beautifully illustrated guide to gardening in Michigan describes the state's native plants, explains how to grow them successfully, and gives tips and advice on solving common gardening issues.
Mackinac Bridge: The Story of the Five-Mile Poem, by Gloria Whelan, illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen (Sleeping Bear Press) - Set in the 1950s, while the "Mighty Mac" was being built, the story introduces a young boy whose father will likely lose his business when the bridge is completed. This timely story coincides with the 50th anniversary (in 2007) of the official opening of the bridge.
The Muskegon: The Majesty and Tragedy of Michigan's Rarest River, by Jeff Alexander (Michigan State University Press) - Take a journey down the Muskegon River in this well-written scholarly study that explores the waterway's environmental history and possible future.
Nicotine Kiss: An Amos Walker Novel, by Loren D. Estleman (Forge) - In this 18th novel of the award-winning series featuring hard-boiled Detroit PI Amos Walker, Walker's old friend and longtime cigarette smuggler has turned up missing. The 1997 Michigan Author Award winner, Estleman successfully weaves a 9/11 plot line into Walker's Detroit and takes readers on a wild ride.
Saving Daylight, by Jim Harrison (Copper Canyon Press) - Northern Michigan, as well as the mountains and forests of the American West, play a central role in Jim Harrison's 10th book of poetry. Contrasting the complexity and absurdity of our current socio-political world with the lessons offered in rivers, thickets, the moon, birds and the companionship of dogs, Harrison's poetry relishes the art of living and explores life's mysteries that hold us up and keep us going.
So Cold a Sky: Upper Michigan Weather Stories, by Karl Bohnak (Cold Sky Publishing) - From the first European explorers to pioneer settlers to modern-day Michiganians, the Upper Peninsula's inhabitants have faced weather's most devastating challenges: extreme snowstorms, heat waves, floods, fires and more.
A Stronger Kinship: One Town's Extraordinary Story of Hope and Faith, by Anna-Lisa Cox (Little, Brown, and Company) - In this powerful story of 19th-century Covert, blacks and whites lived peacefully and equally with shared political power, integrated schools and interracial marriage. Despite national trends toward segregation and violence, this remarkable southwest Michigan community became and remains racially integrated.
Summer of the War, by Gloria Whelan (HarperCollins) - In this beautifully written young-adult novel set on an island in Lake Huron during World War II, Belle and her two siblings take their annual summer trip to their grandparents' island home, where they are surprised by an unknown cousin who fled Paris to escape the war.
Taking Care of Cleo: A Novel, by Bill Broder (Handsel Books) -- Set in Prohibition-era Charlevoix, and complete with booze, bootleggers and the Purple Gang, this engaging novel details the lives of the Bearwalds, the only Jewish family in this small Lake Michigan resort community. Rebecca dreams of attending the University of Michigan to escape "taking care of Cleo," her autistic older sister, A beached yacht full of contraband liquor leads to a case of mistaken identity and run-ins with Detroit gangsters.
An Unquiet Grave, by P.J. Parrish (Pinnacle Books) - In this suspenseful thriller, Florida PI Louis Kincaid, a native of Detroit, is called back to Michigan by his foster father. At a notorious sanitarium, Kincaid learns of a dark conspiracy and troubling revelations, not just about his foster father's situation, but also about himself.
The Widower: A Novel, by Liesel Litzenburger (Shaye Areheart Books) -Swan Robey struggles to carry on after an automobile accident takes his wife's life and leaves him physically damaged and wracked with guilt. After hired hand and ex-con Joseph Geewa discovers an abandoned baby in Swan's northern Michigan apple orchard, the ensuing road trip to find the baby's mother shows readers the healing and redemption that take place with the two wounded and shattered men.
William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate, by Dave Dempsey (University of Michigan Press) - Profiles William G. Milliken, Michigan's 44th and longest-serving governor (1969-1982). Milliken's moderate views are frequently at odds with today's political landscape, making this accessible biography more relevant and inspiring.
Michigan Notable Books is a statewide program that began as part of the 1991 Michigan Week celebration, is geared to pay tribute and draw attention to the many people, places and things that make Michigan life unique.
This year's Michigan Notable Books selection committee included representatives from the Library of Michigan, Archives/Curious Book Shop in East Lansing, Capital Area District Library, Cooley Law School, the Detroit News, the Grand Rapids Press, Michigan Center for the Book, Michigan Historical Center, Michigan State University Libraries, Northland Library Cooperative, ProQuest Information and Learning and Schuler Books & Music.
The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Historical Center. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal. ###
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