The Drummond Girls: A Story of Fierce Friendship Beyond Time and Chance

by Mardi Jo Link

An inspiring and heartfelt memoir about the friendship between eight women forged over two decades.

The eight Drummond Girls first met in 1991 at Peegeo's Food & Spirits in northern Michigan where, at the time, they were all waitresses, bartenders, or regular customers. When one of them got engaged, they celebrated with a trip to Drummond Island--their first trip together to the remote 36-mile chunk of rock, dive bars, dirt roads, and beautiful forests--and it's where they became bonded forever. They've made this voyage every year since then as a way to retain a piece of their wild youth, despite the taming influence of marriage, motherhood, and management. This year, their focus is Beverly, oldest of the Drummond Girls at 65, whose memory is beginning to lapse. Undaunted, the other women intend to help Beverly remember all they've shared--every campfire, every late night talk, every secret confided.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography

272 pages, Hardcover

First published July 14, 2015

About the author

Mardi Link is the author of the memoirs The Drummond Girls: A Story of Fierce Friendship Beyond Time and Chance and Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass On a Northern Michigan Farm . She studied agriculture and journalism at Michigan State University and creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, a street tree planter, a seamstress, and a tournament pool player. Her books about Michigan murders, When Evil Came to Good Hart, Isadore’s Secret and Wicked Takes the Witness Stand spent several weeks on the Heartland Bestseller List and won awards. Mardi's essays have been published in Creative Nonfiction, Bellingham Review, Bear River Review, Publishers Weekly, Traverse Magazine, and the Detroit Free Press . She lives in Traverse City, Michigan, on The Big Valley.

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eight women with no other connection than a particular Michigan bar, go on a weekend camping trip every October during which they drink heavily, flirt outrageously and act like irresponsible 19 year olds. Over two decades, they experience marriage and divorce, births and deaths, job loss and career changes and they grow in their friendship. I struggled to give this 2 stars. The writing was flat and overdone. Information about each woman, especially the narrator, was repeated so frequently I had to wonder if the author had a word minimum to meet. Every metaphor, every allusion, was over explained. We were told about the crazy things they did on their weekends and about the changes they experienced during the year, we were assured that these women became close friends as a result of this get-away, but any reader knows that being told is a poor stand in for being shown. Further, the plot was predictable. I could have written the book jacket summary after reading the first 20 pages.

[Aphra Behn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone once said that a good memoir makes you nostalgic for experiences you never had. After reading Mardi Jo Link’s “The Drummond Girls” I pined to be a Drummond Girl myself, a member of an all-girl club made up of women who seem to be as different as they are dedicated to each other and who, for over 20 years, have made an annual weekend trip to Drummond Island, Michigan where they party, laugh and bond. This is the story of a particular group of eight very different women who are there for each other no matter what. While Drummond Girl Mardi Jo Link writes this memoir you will feel as though the Drummond Girls speak as one as they ride over the Mackinac bridge towards three days of belly laughs and beer. You may turn a page and stop to remember your own girlfriends, past and present, who may have been older than you, younger than you, from completely different backgrounds, but understand you in a way no one else can and have been there through thick and thin. “The Drummond Girls” is a true tribute to female friendship and women who need nothing but a weekend a year in each others company to make it through the often lonely and trying times we all share as mothers, daughters and wives.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe an interesting story for the Drummond Girls. I found the story boring and not that interesting for me. The only part I enjoyed was learning about the island. Didn't appreciate hearing about the drinking and partying by the women.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this story of these women and their friendship. I was sorry when it ended because I wanted to spend more time with the Drummond Girls.

[Michael Brantley · Rating 5 out of 5]

We should all be so lucky to have a group of friends like the “The Drummond Girls.” The story is about partying and letting your hair down with people you trust, but it doesn’t miss the point that life isn’t a Hollywood movie. Just as crossing the Mackinac Bridge was like crossing the border from reality, Link shows plenty of real life in the struggles these “girls” supported each other through. This author knows a good story when she sees one, and see certainly knows how to tell it a way that keeps the pages turning – quickly.

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars only because I have been to the Fog Cutter, Northwoods, and the bowling alley on Drummond Island.

[Ann Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful tale of women's friendships over the years. But although I've visited Drummond Island, I've never done so when the main activity seems to be getting drunk and then driving on two tracks through the woods, neither of which has any appeal for me. If either, or both, appeal to you, then you'll probably enjoy this book more than I did.

[Dawn]

This book came to me at a crossroads in my life. I recently moved away from a group of friends that I knit with every Wednesday night for,the last 10 years. Finding new friends is hard and I could so relate to the dilemma of fitting in. Loved this book!

[Peggy Eckhold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather disappointing book. No real character development and even though these women spent a weekend together every year, they only drank and were silly. They never really got to know one another in depth. Pretty shallow friendships.

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this memoir! What fun it would be to have a group of friends and adventures like this.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to be a Drummond Girl! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself eagerly waiting for their next year's adventures and am going to miss reading about them.

[Mary L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a group of girls who have met every year at Drummond Island for a number of years. Love the area so I'm excited to read it.

[Lori Ritter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun narrative of girls friendships and lives over years annual girl trip to Drummond island

[Cindy Koch-Krol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminds me of my friends, with whom I go on regular sewing retreats. How we laugh and yes, sometimes even drink too much, and spend quality time with each other and get to know each other intimately. If this book does not remind you of your friends then I suggest you are either (1.) Male or (2.) Have only male friends and in desperate need of some girlfriend time. Throughout time MEN have depicted woman in books and movies as being catty, backstabbing, and jealous of each other. But that is hardly the case. Mostly we are loving, supporting, understanding and we tend to be each other's cheerleaders. Women need to spend time with other women because that's the only time they can truly be themselves. A woman who only spends time with men probably doesn't realize this but she is always picking up little clues from the men she's around as to how they want her to be. It is a rare woman who can stand up and be herself in front of men, and if she does, they usually use one of the words they have constructed to put her in her place, "Unreasonable," "Hysterical," "Ball-buster," "Bitch," or (My favorite) "Crazy!" Women do not make these kinds of judgments, not toward each other.

This book is one that any one of us could write if we have girlfriends and if we go away for weekends with them. I, in fact, have written a book like this called "Border Babes" about a group of women who support each other through their shared love of quilting.

I think I may have met Mardi Link many years ago in that same quilting group. I believe back before we had our children she and I attended meetings together. She has been on my radar ever since and unless there are two people in Traverse City with the name Mardi Link, she is the person that I remember. I've read many of her books with interest and plan to read them all. But I especially loved this one. I loved getting to know her better and getting to know her friends as seen through her eyes. I need to go over and eat at Peegio's more often!

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid this one fell flat for me. It's a true story of the author's annual trip to Michigan's Drummond Island. She travels with a group of girlfriends and they drink and party and play pool. The title is "A Story of Fierce Friendship" and that's exactly what was missing. They had a lot of fun but I didn't get a sense of real friendship. Weeks and months go by without much contact with each other. There were no deep conversations, no heart felt letters or calls. Marriages fall apart and the others are stunned. They know little about the other's upbringing. Sure they came together at weddings and funerals but I just didn't get any feeling about what these women were like outside of their one weekend of partying. There are a few grainy black and white pictures of the "girls" but many of them remained enigmas. I couldn't tell you the difference between Pam and Susan and Andrea. I wanted to like this book. I love memoirs, love female bonding stories and Michigan stories have a special place in my heart. This felt superficial until the last chapter...a chapter I loved by the way.

[Sarah Ewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women's friendships are what make us sane some days.
This book follows the friendship of 8 women whose relationship began at Peggio's Bar in Traverse City, Michigan. What started out as four who traveled to Drummond Island in the UP in 1998, evolved to 8 over the years to 2013 (and counting?) going the first weekend in October for a 'women's only' weekend, at first staying in old travel trailers and graduating to finer accommodations. What began as a boozy weekend with crazy antics, led to an understanding and special relationships with very diverse personalities. There was love, pregnancies, children, husbands, and loss that, despite their separate hardships, kept them together. If we are lucky, we have friendships like this or want to become on of them. I loved this book.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me because we're going to Drummond Island later this summer. I was told it was funny and thought it would give me ideas about what to do on our vacation. Sad to say that I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Basic synopsis: a group of 8 woman save up money all year so they can go party on the island for a weekend every October, and we get to read about their partying. Okay, it's a bit deeper than that - we do learn about their relationships, some of their unique qualities, a bit of how they change and grow over the years. It's okay, but not compelling.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Mardi Link's writing and her thoughtful descriptions of both interior and exterior landscapes. Her books are excellent. What I do have a hard time relating to is the focus on fairly heavy drinking and some pranking of a DNR officer in the book. But people make different choices in their lives and sometimes we do things as younger people that we wouldn't do as we grow up.

What I really love about this particular book is the relationships between the women. Well done and very fun to be invited in to be a tiny part of the story, as it were. Well worth reading.

[Koren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughout this book I kept thinking how fun it would be to get together with a group of friends and go camping. These women get together for a week every year for at least 20 years (at the end of the book they are still getting together). They support each other through marriages, births, divorce and deaths. The death of one of the women had me in tears. It so closely mirrored the death of a friend that I went through. And they also have a lot of fun!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every year the Drummond Girls head out for girl time one weekend every fall. It’s a great story about the women’s friendships. I especially liked it because they lived in Traverse City and it was fun remembering places of the past!

The story started out with a bang but then hit a lull. I thought there would be more mishaps and exciting stories throughout the years. Great story for friendships though.

[Delissca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written like a poorly done Diary. Notice I didn't say journal, but diary. I did not connect with any of the characters and there were no real adventures. Even when the usual tragedies struck, I didn't feel much.

Being as I am from the Traverse City area, and was raised in the U.P., I had very high hopes for this book. It just didn't work for me.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the honesty of Mardi Jo Link's books. They are funny, sad, and an amazing truth to what life in Michigan is all about. So many of her sentences could have come straight out of my mouth, so I really relate with her life. The one thing I kept thinking in the back of my head while reading this book was "I want to be a Drummond Girl!"

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a Michigan girl myself, I throughly enjoyed the story…the highs and lows of their lives, being there for one another, the constant of Drummond Island. The remote setting itself and the fact my sister lived in DeTour Village and could see the island. Regret that I never went there. I read it as a sentimental journey I wish had been mine.

[Laurac Cushman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book set in Upper Michigan. The yearly trips to Drummond Island for girls' weekend struck a cord how the highs and lows of friendship evolve over the years with the constant beauty of Drummon Island rustic beauty.

[Doreen Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I enjoyed this book so much because it was so relatable. I am fortunate enough to have a similar group of friends. Although we don’t return to the same place, we return to each other. This was a fun story despite the sad parts.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of how a place became such an important destination to a group of friends, was really enjoyable. It's clear that the location was important, but the space to be free and present with each other was actually the key to the recipe.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

We vacation on Drummond Island! It was fun to read about locations I’m familiar with, and the author is right—Drummond has a special kind of appeal.
Only negative comment is that I would have enjoyed more in depth stories of all the characters, in order to be truly drawn it.

[Ann Frese · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Nothing better about a true story of women's friendships and the power they have!
Heading to Drummond Island next week to have some quality time with girlfriends and make new memories!

[Janice Harding]

Our summer home is near the restaurant where the story takes place. Enjoyed reading about the friendships formed by the workers.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly didn’t think I would finish this book. It was hard to pick back up, as much as I adore Drummond Island. Plowed through the end and it really is a special friendship and bond they all have.