Post 83  June12, 2023

 Quote for the Day: "Nothing can exceed the beauty of this island. ....If the poetic muses are ever to have a new Parnassus in America, they should inevitably fix on Michilimackinac. Hygeia, too should place her temple here; for it has one of the purest, driest, clearest, and most healthful atmospheres." Credited to Henry Schoolcraft but the book below states he took credit for poems and works written by his wife. 

Turn to News and Views for a complete list of the Michigan Author Awards given by the Michigan Library Association in recognition for an outstanding published body of literary work by an author from Michigan or has substantial ties to the state. 

Reviews

Great Women of Mackinac 1800-1950 by Melissa Croghan.  

I consider myself fairly well read on Michigan and Mackinac Island history simply because it has been of life long interest and I'm embarrassed to have never heard of the thirteen women profiled here. The author makes it clear these women made a significant impact on the history and development of the island, even though they could hold no office, nor vote, or present their opinions in official political groups or meetings.

The author has divided these women into three divisions. The first group consists of Native America women who became leaders and examples to the rest of their community. They all started by assisting their husbands in the fur trade and when their husbands died, disappeared, or in case of war, left Mackinac Island they simply took the reins of business and prospered. In addition to managing all aspects of the fur trade some women also made maple syrup on Bois Blanc Island for additional income. Elizabeth Mitchell's husband. a British loyalist, fled the island when the U.S. and Britain went to war. Elizabeth continued to run their fur trade, while she also started a commercial garden, in addition to raising and selling hay. She was greatly respected and was famous for refusing to be domesticated. Her son said, "she knew not the use of a needle."

The second group of women were contemporary writers of the 1800s who recorded much of the early history of the island. For me, the most fascinating woman in this group is Jane Johnston Schoolcraft (1800-1842). She was a Native American who wed Indian Agent Henry Schoolcraft. Jane had been sent to Europe for  an education and spoke English, French and her native tongue. She was the 1st Native American to write poems, record tales, and songs of her people in her native language as well as English. Her husband didn't or wouldn't speak of her writing, yet claimed to be the author of some of her work which he had hidden away. 

The third group are the social reformers and community builders that made Mackinac a thriving community at the beginning of the tourist industry. This book pays homage to the historical women who were prominent in the history of Mackinac Island but long absent in the island's narrative. The book is a testament to thorough research and is both scholarly and very readable. And yet again it is a sad reminder that too much of history is just that "His Story." "Her Story" can also be very interesting and balance the scales of the historical record.

Great Women of Mackinac 1800-1950 by Melissa Croghan. Michigan State University Press, 2023, 244p., $37.95 pb.

Yooper Ale Trails: Craft Breweries and Brewpubs of Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Jon C. Stott.

What a sacrifice! The author took it upon himself to visit ever craft brewery and brewpub in the U.P. He did it for those of us who enjoy craft beers and live in or may visit the land above the Bridge and, with his book in hand, always be able to find the closest craft brewery or brewpub. 

Seriously, craft breweries have become very popular and Michigan is tied for 6th among all states for the number of craft breweries at 407. The author has done a meticulous job of supplying the craft beer lover with everything they would want to know about U.P. craft breweries and brewpubs. As of the writing of this book there are 29 such breweries north of the Straits. The author presents each brewery with a 2 or 3 page essay that includes a short history, a conversation with the owner, presents a feel the bar, and a describes the brewery's signature beers. Each entry includes a photograph, address, phone number and both the website and Facebook addresses.

What makes the book totally unique are the appendices.  There is a list of breweries and brewpubs by location. Following that is a listing of each brewery with it's production by number of barrels, it's flagship beers are named, followed by a core list of all beers produced, whether available in cans or growlers only, and finally it's distribution area. Next is a several page essay on how beer is brewed. There is yet another appendix on a guide to beer styles and which U.P. breweries offer which styles of beer. There is also a glossary of brewing terms, and finally an annotated list of books about beer. It made me thirsty reading the book.

Yooper Ale Trails: Craft Breweries and Brewpubs of Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Jon C. Stott. Modern History Press, 2023, 218p. $24.95 pb.

Village Talk: A Country Merchant's Memoir and Folk History by Ray Nies, edited by Michael J. Douma and Robert P. Swierenga.

The story behind this book is as extraordinary as the stories found between the covers of this personal recollection and observation of life in southwestern Michigan from the late 1800s to the early 1940s. Ray Nies (1877-1950) owned and operated a hardware store in Holland, Michigan from before World War I until he retired. He wrote this book in 1940. The unpublished manuscript was discovered a few years ago in the Holland Museum archives. 

Nies has a great knack for describing the life, social customs, family life, and economics of the times. He does all this while weaving memorable stories and characters within the narrative. The author was born in Saugatuck and recalls in great detail the winter evenings when Civil War veterans gathered around the stove in his father's hardware store and told war stories or spun outrageous lies. Like the Civil War nurse who recalled saving a man's life by replacing his shot up stomach with that of a sheep's. He claimed the man fully recovered but couldn't pass a hay field without stopping to graze.  

When the family moved to the religiously strict village of Holland he recalls that the words, "darn," "by George," "Gee Whiz," and "gosh." were not to be used by boys. Thirty years later in the author's Holland hardware husbands complained that electric washing machines made life too easy for their wives and why two tubes and a washboard weren't good enough. And there was the man who thought the government ought to give everyone $25 a week. When Nies asked where the money would come from the man replied, "...well just tax everyone $25 a week, that's where." A friend told Nies of the man whose house was electrified and that night he tried to turn off the light by blowing on the bulb harder and harder without success.

 The author was drawn to unique and interesting characters and had the wonderful ability to bring them fully alive. There's the well-liked, self-taught horse vet who maintained a fine tuned, happy balance between drunk and sober everyday for for sixty years. My personal favorite was the stranger who came to town and guarantied to teach anyone to swim or their money back. He did this without ever entering the water himself. For $10 he even guarantied a women he could teach her dog to swim. Miraculously he did! Eventually the man received his wet comeuppance. In old age Nies philosophizes a bit and leaves readers with with a number of thought provoking comments on life. Among them are: "a fool can instruct wise men, but no fool can instruct a fool," and, "we all want to live a long time, but we all hate like hell to grow old." 

After more years than I care to count reviewing books or reading them for pleasure there are very few books I have enjoyed as much or more than this recently unearthed gem. On finishing this book I wished I could have known the author, then realized the wish had come true.

Village Talk: A Country Merchant's Memoir and Folk History by Ray Nies, edited by Michael J. Douma and Robert P. Swierenga, Privately Published, 2023, 262p., $31.95.

Poppy and Mary Ellen Deliver the Goods: Book One of the Frankenmuth Murder Mysteries by Roz Weedman and Susan Todd.

Well here is another "Cozy" Mystery of which I'm not a regular reader or even very familiar with the genre's benchmarks. So I thought it time to do a did a little research. Here is what I found and how this cozy mystery compares to the genre's criteria.

1 Sex and violence usually occurs off stage. Yes in deed.

2 The detective(s) is an amateur sleuth. Polly and Mary Ellen qualify.

3 The sleuth(s) is usually a middle-aged woman. Check and check.

4 The setting is a small intimate community. OK I guess, but Zenders et al is hardly intimate.

5 There are no serial killers or psychopaths. Nary a one.

The chicken dinner capital of Michigan is the setting for this quirky mystery featuring Poppy and Mary Ellen, two middle-aged women who run a somewhat casual detective business. More often than not their cases involve chasing down runaway dogs and on occasion, checking up on possible straying husbands. That is until every kook and crazy from a dysfunctional Ohio family, the Stanleys, are ordered to Frankenmuth by Mrs. Stanley, the family's very rich, aging aunt. She has brought the family together to stuff them with fudge and chicken before announcing her new estate plan which they will find much harder to swallow.

While the gaggle of in-laws, nieces, and nephews wonder what's up a Stanley family member arranges for his aunt to take a carriage tour of the town. The driver is told to have her back at the hotel by 5 p.m. when she has arranged to meet with her clan and drop the bombshell. The carriage arrives on time but Mrs. Stanley fails to disembark. Well its hard to get out of a carriage when your throat has been cut. And who is witness to this shocking scene but Poppy and Mary Ellen who just happened to be there helping deliver the goods for their caterer friend.

And off go Polly and Mary Ellen careening like pinballs racking up points as they bounce from one clue to another, rebound from unexpected plot twists, help discover another dead body, and manage to play a mah-jongg game or two before the police collar the murderer. With the ladies' help of course. If you like cozy mysteries you'll gulp this one down and be waiting for the next one from this pair of Frankenmuth residents. Read it now or pick it up as a calorie lite souvenir after a dinner in Michigan's Willkommen land.

Poppy and Mary Ellen Deliver the Goods: Book One of the Frankenmuth Murder Mysteries by Roz Weedman and Susan Todd. Mission Point Press, 2023, 239p., $14.95.

Boats Can't Jump: The Story of The Soo Locks by Laura Barens, Illustrated by Don Lee.

This delightful picture book told in rhyme and complimented by Don Lee's colorful and entertaining illustrations is a great introduction to the Soo Locks. The book simply and clearly explains how ships pass through the Soo Locks that even young children can understand. 

If you're planning on taking a young child to the locks I would think the book a must. They will be awed by the closeness of the huge ships and how almost by magic they rise and fall before their very eyes. This book will help them grasp what is actually happening. I'm betting even adults will enjoy the clever rhyming and the lively and often humorous illustrations.

There is a glossary if the reader is caught off guard by a youngster asking what is a Lockmaster, a Linchpin or another technical term. The glossary is followed by a number of basic facts about the Soo Locks and a Timeline that may interest adults and older children.

Boats Can't Jump: The Story of the Soo Locks by Laura Barens, illustrated by Don Lee, Schuler Books, 2022, 34p., $12.99. Available from laurabarensbooks.com