I picked this up because I knew that the eastern UP was one of the settings. I grew up there and love reading about it. Sometimes authors use the area as a setting but get all the details wrong like paying the toll on your way north across the bridge. I put a book down after reading that. Not so with this book. The sense of place and the portrayal of life there was spot on. I really enjoyed the story and the writing.

A couple of my favorite quotes:
"Ever wonder why the Mackinaw is spelled with a 'w' in Mackinaw City and every time you see Mackinac on the other side of the bridge, it's spelled with a 'c'?" "It's so the Buckeyes, Fudgies, and Trolls learn how to say it right before they cross the bridge."

And in response to a question about not being interested in going downstate, "You get down there, they don't even put the U.P. on the map. Nothing but the fuckin' mitt. They can keep all that--everything under the bridge. Fine with me if I never cross the Straits the rest of my life."