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In a Northern Town
From the author of BETWEEN TWO SLOPES and SOMEWHERE MORE THAN FREE comes a collection of short stories that spans the stunning and vast landscape of northern Michigan.
IN A NORTHERN TOWN follows the characters who reside in this often-overlooked region as they navigate their way through journeys of grief to find their own means of escape. The stories begin and end with brutally honest personalities: an old fisherman living in isolation on the shores of Lake Huron, a teenage girl who must confront her mysterious father, young brothers who find themselves caught between two evils, and a reclusive author who grants a reporter the first interview since her lone bestseller more than two decades ago.
Share in the triumph, pain and loss of innocence that these characters experience in some of the most richly painted tales that could speak for any corner of rural America.
IN A NORTHERN TOWN follows the characters who reside in this often-overlooked region as they navigate their way through journeys of grief to find their own means of escape. The stories begin and end with brutally honest personalities: an old fisherman living in isolation on the shores of Lake Huron, a teenage girl who must confront her mysterious father, young brothers who find themselves caught between two evils, and a reclusive author who grants a reporter the first interview since her lone bestseller more than two decades ago.
Share in the triumph, pain and loss of innocence that these characters experience in some of the most richly painted tales that could speak for any corner of rural America.
154 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2017
About the author
Ed A. Murray
8 books48 followersEd A. Murray is an author, ghostwriter and University of Michigan alumnus. Autumn in Wolf Valley (2025) is his fourth book, all of which are set at least partially in his home state of Michigan, where he lives with his wife, two daughters and their mini Australian shepherd.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 28, 2018
4 stars; book #35 of 2018
“He always told himself he wanted his last breath to be of crisp, fall air in northern Michigan. That way he knew he’d be going straight to heaven, because anything that pure was sure to lead to the Promised Land.”
In a Northern Town by Ed A. Murray is a collection of short stories set in northern Michigan. Set against the beautiful, and sometimes isolated, landscape the stories follow the people of what the author calls an “often-overlooked region.”
I have a hard time with short stories because oftentimes the story does not feel complete or the characters do not develop, but In a Northern Town does not fall prey to either of these fatal flaws. I enjoyed the variety in the characters and the stories. Even though they all take place in northern Michigan, they focus on different aged characters and follow different story lines, including a young boy whose friend is running away, an old man who lives alone, and a sixteen year old girl.
On top of the northern Michigan theme, many of the stories feature characters who think the rest of the world is crazy. “…and then watch briefly from afar as I smirked and thought that the world had gone mad.” This helps to explain why a lot of the characters have chosen to live far away from cities and more in solitude.
The book contains nine short stories, all varying in length. I enjoyed most of the stories, but my favorites included “On the Sunrise Side” and “A Conclusive Conviction”. “Pointless Thoughts” and ” Truth Be Told” left me sitting and thinking about them after the last page. The books is only 142 pages, so it was a quick read that left me wanting more.
I am looking forward to reading the other two books by this author!
“He always told himself he wanted his last breath to be of crisp, fall air in northern Michigan. That way he knew he’d be going straight to heaven, because anything that pure was sure to lead to the Promised Land.”
In a Northern Town by Ed A. Murray is a collection of short stories set in northern Michigan. Set against the beautiful, and sometimes isolated, landscape the stories follow the people of what the author calls an “often-overlooked region.”
I have a hard time with short stories because oftentimes the story does not feel complete or the characters do not develop, but In a Northern Town does not fall prey to either of these fatal flaws. I enjoyed the variety in the characters and the stories. Even though they all take place in northern Michigan, they focus on different aged characters and follow different story lines, including a young boy whose friend is running away, an old man who lives alone, and a sixteen year old girl.
On top of the northern Michigan theme, many of the stories feature characters who think the rest of the world is crazy. “…and then watch briefly from afar as I smirked and thought that the world had gone mad.” This helps to explain why a lot of the characters have chosen to live far away from cities and more in solitude.
The book contains nine short stories, all varying in length. I enjoyed most of the stories, but my favorites included “On the Sunrise Side” and “A Conclusive Conviction”. “Pointless Thoughts” and ” Truth Be Told” left me sitting and thinking about them after the last page. The books is only 142 pages, so it was a quick read that left me wanting more.
I am looking forward to reading the other two books by this author!
June 9, 2017
Being a Michigander, this book really hit home for me (literally, I guess). It was made up of 9 short stories. Each one was unique, which I really liked. I've seen other comments about this book and I think some people are forgetting there's a difference between the people who vacation in northern Michigan and the people who live there permanently. Authentic and genuine are probably the two best phrases I could use to describe this book. Take each story for what it's worth, and enjoy the characters and the settings.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand the soul of up north Michigan, not just from the outside looking in, but from its core.
This book is for anyone who wants to understand the soul of up north Michigan, not just from the outside looking in, but from its core.
June 4, 2020
This book was a hard read...it covered much of the things some people experience through life.. As I said a hard read but worth it.
April 23, 2017
As a Michigan resident who is involved in the end of the week excursions to northern Michigan, I was excited to get my hands on this book. I did not win it in a giveaway, thus I purchased it at Amazon. I would love to say my expectations were met, however this book failed to fulfill my expectations.
The book is a collection of nine short stories. Some of them are better then others, but overall, I was not pleased. Two of the stories made me feel as if they were unfinished, "Fowler Sarcasm" and "Pointless Thoughts".
Two more of the stories, I felt, told a good story. They really represented what Northern Michigan is about. We travel "up north" to get away from it all, perhaps to contemplate life, perhaps to have fun in the great outdoors. "On the Sunrise Side" and "Another Endless Horizon" portrayed that idea very clearly.
Some of the other stories, I felt, could have been set in any location. A story setting affects your characters, and in these stories, I felt they could of happened anywhere, and Northern Michigan was not a integral part of the stories. Overall I would give this book a 3.5 stars, but that is not an option, so I advanced it to a 4. It is worth the read, if you happen upon the book.
The book is a collection of nine short stories. Some of them are better then others, but overall, I was not pleased. Two of the stories made me feel as if they were unfinished, "Fowler Sarcasm" and "Pointless Thoughts".
Two more of the stories, I felt, told a good story. They really represented what Northern Michigan is about. We travel "up north" to get away from it all, perhaps to contemplate life, perhaps to have fun in the great outdoors. "On the Sunrise Side" and "Another Endless Horizon" portrayed that idea very clearly.
Some of the other stories, I felt, could have been set in any location. A story setting affects your characters, and in these stories, I felt they could of happened anywhere, and Northern Michigan was not a integral part of the stories. Overall I would give this book a 3.5 stars, but that is not an option, so I advanced it to a 4. It is worth the read, if you happen upon the book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews