Cover of Famous in a Small Town

Famous in a Small Town

by Viola Shipman

3.89(5,401 ratings)

For most of her eighty years, Mary Jackson has endured the steady invasion of tourists, influencers and real estate developers who have discovered the lakeside charm of Good H…

Reviews

Jeff Sexton@bookanon.com

All Michigan Tourism Boards Should Hire "Ms. Shipman". Seriously, this book in particular is basically one giant love letter to rural Michigan, in prose form for around 350 pages. The history - for better and worse. The current - for better and worse. The land. The culture. The lakes you can never get far from.<br/><br/>And the cherries. Always the cherries.<br/><br/>Oh yes, there are humans here too. And some mysticism/ "magical realism". And their story is both linked and compelling, as they always are in a Viola Shipman book.<br/><br/>But really, you're reading this book to feel like you're travelling to Michigan - and that is not a bad thing at all. It really is described so beautifully that even this hardened Southerner who has been north of the Mason-Dixon just three times in his lifetime... want to consider going to Michigan at some point. Maybe.<br/><br/>Very much recommended.