Campbell, Bonnie Jo. American Salvage: Stories. Detroit: Wayne State University Press ©2009.
In these stories about cold, lonely, working-class Michigan life, Campbell creates a world where salvation counterbalances loss and despair, and she leaves the reader with a sense of hope and belief things will get better. Campbell's daring stories and exceptional writing create an image of rural Michigan that lingers and cannot be forgotten.
Luxenberg, Steve. Annie's Ghosts. New York: Hyperion, 2009.
The fear of mental illness hits deep into the psyche, and that terror brings about this fascinating book of research into family genealogy, personal history and secrets long held. It all started when Detroit native Steve Luxenberg began to discover some discrepancies in his mother's stories about her family as she neared the end of her life. A complex blend of genealogy research, cultural mores and a long-past Detroit are brought alive. Despite the secrets, Luxenberg's love of his family is clear, and while not all is discovered, much is, and his story becomes a story that belongs to all of us.
Leithauser, Brad. The Art Student's War: A Novel.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.
The vividly depicted city of Detroit takes a lead role in this historical coming-of-age novel set in World War II. A talented art student, Bianca Paradiso volunteers to draw portraits of wounded soldiers at the local hospital. As turmoil engulfs her Italian family, Bianca struggles in both her relationship with one of her sketch subjects and her budding romance with the son of a local drug store titan.
Grandin, Greg. Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City. New York : Metropolitan Books, 2009.
The remarkable story of Henry Ford's failed attempt to transform the rugged Brazilian Amazon rainforest into both a factory and a model American-style town, complete with golf courses and ice cream shops. Fordlandia represents a fascinating dichotomy matching the Amazon rainforest, with its complex natural environment and rugged conditions, against the automobile industrialist who had perfected the assembly line.
Albom, Mitch. Have A Little Faith: : A True Story of a Last Request. New York: Hyperion, 2009.
Mitch Albom offers a story about his eight-year journey between two worlds, two men and two faiths. After Albom's hometown rabbi asked him to deliver his eulogy, Albom tried to learn more about the man and found himself thrown back to a world of faith he'd left years ago. By examining his faith, Albom also connected with a Detroit pastor, a former convict preaching to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof. Ten percent of the profits from this book will go to charity, including The Hole in the Roof Foundation, which helps refurbish places of worship that aid the homeless..
Polacco, Patricia. January's Sparrow. New York : Philomel Books, 2009.
In January 1874 in Marshall, slave takers came to take the Crosswhites back to Kentucky. This is the story of how the Crosswhites came to Marshall, why they stayed there and what happened on that day the whole town rose up to save the Crosswhites from the slave takers. This is Polacco's second time on the Michigan Notable Books list (An Orange for Frankie).
Zadoorian, Michael. The Lost Tiki Palaces of Detroit: Stories. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, ©2009.
Interesting and quirky characters abound in this engaging collection of short stories set in and around Detroit. Divided in sections appropriately named West Side, East Side and Downtown, the collection portrays common themes relevant to the region and the city, including hardship, racial tension and hopes.
Amick, Steve. Nothing But A Smile: A Novel. New York : Pantheon Books, 2009.
Steve Amick gives the reader a remarkable portrait of postwar America. When Wink Dutton is discharged from the army in 1944, he has little to his name besides his Purple Heart. His prospects change unexpectedly, however, when he meets the beautiful Sal Chesterton. The story plays out against wartime struggles, the Chicago underworld of the 1940s and 1950s, HUAC and the Red Scare and the postwar migration of Americans from the cities to the suburbs. This is Amick's second time on the Michigan Notable Books list (The Lake, The River & the Other Lake).
Lystra, Donald. Season of Water and Ice DeKalb: Switch Grass Books/Northern Illinois University Press, ©2009.
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Donald Lystra creates a touching coming-of-age story set in rural northern Michigan in 1957. Bookish loner Danny DeWitt befriends Amber Dwyer, a pregnant teenager who has been abandoned by her boyfriend and rejected by her family and community. Seasons of Water and Ice explores the themes of independence and obligation, courage and surrender, and love and sexuality. The book will appeal to both adult and young adult readers. .
Small, David. Stitches: A Memoir . New York : W.W. Norton & Co., ©2009.
Socrates said that an unexamined life is a life not worth living. David Small's heartbreaking story reveals a well-examined life, bringing to light a troubled family and its impact on him as a child, from living in an extremely quiet and depressing environment with angry undertones, to undergoing extremely traumatic throat surgery and waking up unable to speak. A remarkably illustrated story of a child who found refuge in books and in drawing, and, in the end, became his own man.
Wechsler, Tom. Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger. Detroit: Wayne State University, ©2009.
Following Bob Seger's career from the late 1960s, through such highlights as Beautiful Loser, Live Bullet and Night Moves, and culminating in his 2004 induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, readers will eagerly turn the page in this behind-the-scenes photographic look at one of Michigan's music icons.
Davis, Seth. When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball. New York: Times Books, 2009.
Thirty years ago, college basketball was not the sport we know today. Not many games were televised nationally, and the NCAA tournament was not the cultural phenomenon it is today. Two exceptional players, Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird, almost single-handedly changed everything. Although they played each other only once, in the 1979 NCAA finals, that meeting launched an epic rivalry, transformed the NCAA tournament into the multibillion-dollar event it is today and laid the groundwork for the resurgence of the NBA. Seth Davis' well-written book explores Bird and Johnson, the 1979 NCAA tournament, and the impact these great players had on the game.
