The Northern Line

by Mike Lee

A young man returns to his hometown to mourn the reasons he left. An abused spouse copes with a lifetime of bullying in identifying with the lead character from an independent film. A political prisoner is snatched from a firing squad to find himself exiled in an obscure land. A family flees the Dust Storm of the 1930s, using magic as a tool to survive.

The Northern Line is a collection of stories about dreamers of what was mislaid, lost souls seeking redemption, sudden opportunities and missed chances. The stories are of people grappling with a world of unexpected changes, striving for stability in uncertain, and often surreal, times.

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2021

Reviews

[J.J. Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Northern Line is an engaging and well-crafted collection of stories in the tradition of literary giants like Richard Ford and James Salter. Lee's style is like a lived memory, evoking scenes and sensations that feel as though the reader themselves are revisiting their own past, even if the situations and settings are drastically different from the reader's own experience. The Northern Line is a strong collection that I know I will revisit again and again.

[Peter Landau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong collection of short stories, many of which could live together as an episodic novel. They come from a similar place and attitude. Others strike into less autobiographical territory. All are engaging.

[Mitchell Waldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Lee’s book, The Northern Line, offers a diverse group of short stories that draw the reader in, wanting to know more. In his book the author moves from various locations – North Carolina, Texas, and New York City, and touches upon such varied subjects as the after effects of 9-11 on a young woman’s life, "life"/death in Purgatory Beach, the sometimes tenuous, fragile nature of relationships, returns to one’s past life, and losses and possible gains in life and love. All of this he does with a great sense of intimacy, drawing us, inviting us into the lives of all of his characters. Many of these stories appear to add to each other, offering up background and context for other stories, resulting in the sum of these stories being much greater than their individual contributions, giving us further insight into a boy’s growth from childhood into manhood, following his travels from his North Carolina roots to Texas to the big city. Overall, this is a great collection and one well worth reading. –Mitchell Waldman, author of BROTHER, FATHERS, AND OTHER STRANGERS.

[Matt Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Lee unapologetically writes short stories the way he wants to write them. Often subtle, Lee's stories about everyday people resonate with those who ask question like: Is this it? How did I get here? Where can I go? Set in several different locations around the United States, The Northern Line collages together a lot of what it means to be here, living in this time and space.