Notable Michigan Books—200717 Outstanding Titles The titles listed below are linked directly into the Farmington Community Library Online Catalog, so you can see the status of a title and place a hold to reserve a copy for youself. See also: 50 Essential Works of Michigan History 
Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke, by Dean Kuipers. This detailed account describes the 2001 tragedy on Tom Crosslin 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. 
Death's Door: The Truth Behind Michigan's Largest Mass Murder, by Steve Lehto. This book explores the enduring mystery and drama surrounding the 1913 Christmas Eve tragedy at Italian Hall in Calumet. The author expertly analyzes the objectivity of the local newspaper coverage, the coroner's inquest, and the mystery surrounding the doors (did they open inward or outward?), and reaches several thought-provoking, startling, and controversial conclusions. 
Donutheart, by Sue Stauffacher. In this young adult sequel to Donuthead set in fictional central and west Michigan, Franklin is still obsessive but begins to gain a heart for others. Stauffacher weaves an enthralling tale of two youngsters who each must learn to make their own decisions and deal in very individual ways with a puzzling grownup world.
Fresh Water: Women Writing on the Great Lakes, edited by Alison Swan. The lilting, poetic stories of childhood, family, of nature and history, these distinguished writers provide insight into everyday Michigan, both the gifts and perils along Michigan's shores and in their own lives.
House of Fields: Memories of a Rural Education, by Anne-Marie Oomen. 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. 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. Peschel's stories span several generations, recounting her education in public schools and highlighting the role Christianity played in Native American culture during her youth, and emphasize the importance of maintaining traditional customs while living and functioning in a "white" world.
Landscaping With Native Plants of Michigan, by Lynn M. Steiner. 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. 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, and covers the changes that progress brings and how people cope with those changes.
The Muskegon: The Majesty and Tragedy of Michigan's Rarest River, by Jeff Alexander. This is a well-written scholarly study that explores the waterway's environmental history and possible future.
Nicotine Kiss: An Amos Walker Novel, by Loren D. Estleman. 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. Walker's loyalty to his friend pulls him into an exciting case that involves an evangelical religious group and counterfeiters with links to international terrorism.
A Stronger Kinship: One Town's Extraordinary Story of Hope and Faith, by Anne-Lisa Cox. 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. 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. Clashes ensue, as Belle starts to have new perspectives on her family and going through growing-up pains.
Taking Care of Cleo: A Novel, by Bill Broder. Set in Prohibition-era Charlevoix, complete with bootleggers and the Purple Gang this engaging novel details the lives of the Bearwalds, the only Jewish family in this small resort community. Rebecca dreams of attending the University of Michigan to escape "taking care of Cleo," her autistic older sister.
An Unquiet Grave, by P.J. Parrish. In this suspenseful thriller, Florida PI Louis Kincaid is called back to Michigan by his foster father, who needs help with a personal situation. As events unfold at a notorious sanitarium, modeled after Eloise, 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. Swan Robey struggles to carry on after an automobile accident takes his wife's life and leaves him physically and mentally damaged. He is gradually brought back to life when hired hand and ex-con Joseph Geewa discovers an abandoned baby in Swan's apple orchard. The ensuing road trip to find the baby's mother shows readers the healing and redemption that takes place with the two wounded and shattered men.
William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate, by Dave Dempsey. This political biography explores the life and career of 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.
Last modified on Friday, 18-Jul-2008 11:12:35 EDT |