Tin Camp Road: A Novel

by Ellen Airgood

Set against the wide open beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a wise, big hearted novel in which a young single mother and her ten-year-old daughter stand up to the trials of rural poverty and find the community they need in order to survive.

Laurel Hill and her precocious daughter Skye have always been each other’s everything. The pair live on Lake Superior, where the local school has classes of just four children, and the nearest hospital is a helicopter ride away. Though they live frugally, eking out a living with Laurel’s patchwork of jobs, their deep love for each other feels like it can warm them even on the coldest of nights. What more do they need?

One otherwise normal afternoon, their landlord decides to evict them in favor of a more profitable summer rental, and, without any warning, they are pushed farther to the margins. Suddenly it feels like the independence that has defined them is a liability. And when a dangerous incident threatens to separate them, Laurel and Skye must forever choose—will they leave the place they love and the hardscrabble life they’ve built to move closer to civilization, or risk everything to embrace the emptiness and wildness that has defined them?

What follows is an uplifting, profoundly moving story about a mother and daughter fighting for each other, against all odds, as they learn to build community and foster the resilience that will keep them alive.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Audiobook, Family, Adult, Realistic Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

I grew up on a small farm, the youngest of four children. My father was a blacksmith and a schoolteacher. For the last nineteen years I’ve been a waitress in Grand Marais, Michigan. I was twenty-five when I came to this tiny, Lake Superior town, on a camping trip with my sister, and fell in love with the man who made my cheese sandwich and chocolate malt at the local diner. We met, exchanged assessing, almost challenging gazes, and six months later we got married. I told my sister we would, on the way back to our campsite that first day. “You’re crazy,” she said worriedly. But pretty soon she grinned, shook her head, started getting into the spirit of it. “Well,” she said. “This is going to be interesting.” And it has been.

I’ve never been sorry. My husband Rick and I run a diner together, a job which is always consuming, often punishing, and hugely fulfilling. Most of what I know about maturity and compassion, not to mention story, I’ve learned from waiting tables. We work eighty to a hundred hours a week together almost year around, and one way or another we’ve faced the constant barrage of setbacks and frustrations and equipment failures that restaurant work is, the high stress and long hours. There is so much satisfaction in it, though: the goodness of hard work, the joy of feeding people a meal they love, the delight of long friendships, the pride in a job well done. All kinds of people come here from all kinds of places, and we get to meet them, to hear their stories, and pretty often we get to make them happy for the time that they are here.

This is the route I took to becoming a writer. I didn’t get an MFA or study writing in school. I could have learned about life anywhere, but fate brought me here, to the end of the earth and a tiny town that time forgot. My customers have given me good practice as a storyteller, too. It’s a matter of survival. If I can entertain people, draw them over to my side, they won’t murder me when I’m the only waitress of the floor and the cook is swamped and the wait is long and we’re out of silverware and I didn’t know the fish was gone when I took their order.

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in a gorgeous location, rural upper Peninsula, Michigan, bordering Lake Superior. Laurel and her ten year old daughter Skye, weather poverty, struggling to move forward in a life that has few monetary resources. Their closeness and mother daughter relationship is, though not without challenges, is one that is amazing. Sees them through many difficulties, but Laurel feels the pressure to do more for her daughter. When a devastating and unexpected occurence is thrown at them, Laurel finds herself doubting their life and doesn't know where or whom to turn. Changes are ahead but will they be good ones?

Beautiful descriptions of scenery in different seasons, one of the high points of the book. I love this area, which is what drew me to this book. Also loved the characters, the different ways people find to survive, live life. This book also highlights the struggles of a single mom and though wanting only the best for her daughter, poverty is difficult to overcome without a helping hand or two. A book of love, though of course one needs to cope with life itself, which is often not easy.

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I loved South of Superior so much and couldn't wait to read her new novel. It was very readable, I read it in one afternoon, and I enjoyed the setting.

What I couldn't get over were the poor choices Laurel made being framed as good choices, a parent who would do anything for their child. Laurel was sitting on a $5k inheritance she hoped to use for a house "someday" and working to save another $5k for a camp that I'm sure her daughter would enjoy but wasn't a necessity. All the while living in a trailer with no electricity or running water in the middle of an Upper Peninsula winter.

The beginning of the book makes a huge deal about how their roots are in Gallion and they will never move, but then almost immediately they are forced to because no one will rent to them. So instead of moving somewhere she can find a place to rent and using her funds to do so - sometimes "someday" has to take a backburner to heat and running water for your child - she moves to another nearby town and squats in a camper.

She repeatedly leaves her 10 year old alone in this remote camper, sometimes for work, but sometimes not. Eventually there is a crisis and Skye is taken by Child Protective Services... for a week. Maybe CPS moves a lot faster in the UP where there aren't as many families but this not only seems unrealistic to me, they then let her move back with her mother to the place with no power or running water.

All the while she has an uncle downstate willing to let them move in, give Laurel a good job and a reliable car and get a chance to get ahead, but this is painted as some sort of horror that would steal all of their joy.

Eventually she ends up getting a place to live, a great job, and someone to help pay for Skye's camp because of course, the kindness of strangers, all the while never touching her $5k in the bank.

Parenthood is often about sacrifices, but not creating the situations that require them. Food, shelter, and supervision are the bare minimum and while there are many families who struggle to provide these things for their children, Laurel makes the choice not to provide them.

[Ineffable7980x · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

I wanted a change of pace after Malazan, and this book definitely afforded me that. It's a cozy but also frank look at a young single mother and her precocious 10 year old daughter as they struggle economically in a small town in Upper Michigan. The daughter is very engaging; the mother is too, but she's also very frustrating. I've met stubborn people like her, and they drive me crazy. I like how the book focuses on the small things in life, and it also rhapsodizes a bit about life in a small town.

This book is not a masterpiece by any means, but it is a satisfying and light read for anyone who is looking for a mother-daughter story.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming story of a single mother trying to make a life for herself and her daughter in the Upper Peninsula. Laurel & Skye's experience is a gentle reminder that those of us who grew up here and choose to stay know exactly what we are getting into. Laurel indeed has sisu and you will cheer her on as she fights to overcome one obstacle after another and finds herself in the process. (3.5 ⭐s out of 4)

[Donia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted VERY much to like this story. The setting is my kind of place and the basic idea for the novel is obviously based upon Airgood's life story. So I hate to criticize an author but I learned in creative writing classes that constructive criticism is imperative for a writer to succeed.

2021: I almost gave up reading this book half way through because the story line kept wandering around describing furnishings, clothing, and extraneous characters that made the story hard to follow. This lack of focus irritated me and I considered casting the book aside at this point. I had to force myself to speed read through to the end just to find out what happened but it wasn't an enjoyable read.

2025: Update: Being stuck indoors due to weather I looked through old books and found "Tin Camp Road". Not realizing that I had read it previously I zipped through it again. What is confirming is that the second time around it fell as flat as the first time. I can tell that the author's heart is invested in this book and the writing is sweet, it is just for the outsider there isn't much to keep them interested. Thus, the two-star rating still stands.

[Carol Deegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not fond of this book. The premise of the story is a mother and daughter’s love for each other, and what a mother will do for her daughter; however, to me it seemed disjointed. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

[BookNightOwl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was set in the upper part of Michigan and I am from Michigan so I was intrigued. This book is about a single mom who is just trying to do what is best for her daughter so when she is told that the house they are renting is being turned into a vacation rental she tries everything she can to find somewhere to live without changing her daughters whole world.

I really enjoyed the narration of this book. I like how it was written and I really like the main character and her daughter. I understand some people have pride and don’t like to take the help when it is needed but I am not one of those people. I would have taken help from
Everyone who offered it. Especially if I have a child to look after. Overall I did like the book and I gave it a B+

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 and rounding up. Characters with a deep, developing, raw & honest sense of self and a location that I grew to love and value because there’s no other option when Airgood writes about a place. This one felt true and just right.

[Melanie Bykhovoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story just doesn't go anywhere. This book was very hard to get through.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laurel is a single mother to ten-year-old Sky. Laurel and Skye live in the isolated region of Michigan’s upper peninsula on the shoreline of Lake Superior. Laurel has made the best of living in poverty and struggling with limited resources to move them forward. When an unexpected and devastating incident occurs, Laurel has to reassess the life she has made for her daughter.

This is a slower-paced character-driven story. I love learning about people who reside in locations that are different from mine. Ellen cultivates a vivid landscape of Michigan’s upper peninsula region, especially the harsh winters. I adored the close mother-daughter relationship that Laurel and Skye have. Laurel was such an admirable character, she is fiercely independent, hard-working but yet she had a soft and feminine side to her.

The only issue I had was the middle seemed to drag on quite a bit but overall I enjoyed reading Tin Camp Road. I would recommend this one for readers looking for a lighter, character-driven, novel. This book would be perfect for fans of women's fiction that center around a strong mother and daughter relationship.

Many thanks to Riverhead Books for the gifted copy!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a single mom to a 10 year old who grew up in Michigan I was immediately drawn to this book. It captured my attention immediately, but lost it about 80 pages in. I had a hard time following all the characters and didn't feel believable after that point.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel about Superior and Marquette the way Laurel feels about Superior and Gallion, although Marquette is a bigger town than Gallion. The lake calls to me. Airgood captured the Yooper spirit perfectly. I feel like I’ve been to Gallion, like her people are mine.

The woman who owns the home I grew up invited me over, all excited to show me the ways she made it her dream. The thing is, my parents had already made it our dream, so to us it’s taking perfection and destroying it. I cannot imagine what it would be like for Laurel to work in her family home when I can’t even bear to visit mine.

I have my dead mother’s thanksgiving cactus that my dead grandmother kept alive for 15 years so no pressure. I can relate to Laurel and her family and the responsibility of history and tradition and carrying it on.

Not to be nit picky but 20 is awfully young to be a senior in college unless you’re some sort of prodigy. But since he maybe lied about his name, maybe that was a lie too and not an oversight be the author. 20 also isn’t old enough to be drinking in a bar so would she really have known that since minors drinking in bars aren’t usually in the habit of telling people they don’t know they’re too young to be there?

And later when Laurel is planning what to make and figuring out profit, there’s no mention of Naomi taking a cut for commission. Again nit picky but stuff like that throws me off.

I like how the final chapter does the traditional updates on what’s going on the sum of the book but does it by Skye interviewing her mom for school so it’s both in character and not just plunking it down on the page so the reader knows. Very satisfying.

Also when the similar ears were mentioned I started having my suspicions about Peter so am glad that storyline was seen thru as well.

[Peacejanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quiet, gentle book about a single mother who struggles in amazing ways to keep her child and make a good life for her. It is a slow book, the author glows over the beautiful sunset or a day at the beach with her child and their discoveries. The mother is not educated and takes any job she can get. She does not realize how smart the child is and when a teacher tries to explain it to her, she does not get it. She is evicted from the place they are living after she could not keep her family homestead and tries to live in her car, after the child has been given to friends to take to Arizona or somewhere. She is lonely. Is she the best mother for the child? Eventually she squats in the trailer of a friend she knew years ago. He is long dead and no one has managed to close his estate. The child is taken from her because she left her alone to go to the aid of a false friend. This is a gentle painful book about a woman struggling to survive and give her child all she needs. A sweet book. I am certain that this person exists in real life - we may even know her - and is doing all she can to help her child. The mother is trying to grow up and it is a painful experience.

[Marina Babaev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars, only because it was nice to read about the state I live in and know the places she’s talking about. Otherwise, it felt like the author had an idea for a character, and may be a bit of a plot, but then it didn’t go anywhere. Both main characters, Laurel and her daughter Skye, are not developed at all, and there’s not much of a plot really. Some things don’t even make sense. Some other characters introduced throughout the novel appear from nowhere and it’s hard to keep up who’s who and who’s playing what role in the book. It felt like the story was going in circles and she wasn’t sure how to finish it. The only reason I finished this book, and I very rarely don’t finish books, was that I was on vacation and didn’t have anything else to read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on the shoreline of Lake Superior. It’s a mother daughter love story and how they protect each other through their uncertain life.
It’s a simple book, but it tells a tale of single motherhood, poverty, and community that is illuminating and moving.
I read this in a day because I stayed awake til 2am to finish.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really have a plot

[Ellen Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good. I didn’t like the ending unless there’s a sequel.

[Colleen T · Rating 1 out of 5]

One line from the book sums up the entire story: "Laurel Hill: terrible friend, callous lover, failed parent".

This book was not for me. Laurel Hill has a daughter, Skye, who is gifted and absolutely needs to exercise her intelligence in order to become something great. Laurel, for some weird reason, is trying to make ends meet, and when numerous characters ask to help her or at least help her to put Skye in a better situation, she declines it as she is too prideful.

Halfway through the book, I realized that Laurel is not that great of a mother. Period.

The book itself was boring with no discernable plot, nor anything with which to conquer. Again, maybe I need more action and adventure in my books to enjoy it, but there could have been something that the author could have had them overcome in the book other than Laurel's lack of drive.

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally outside the scope of my normal reading preferences, but I really liked this book. I have eaten many times at the author's diner, so I read the book for that reason. I found myself relating so much to the character because I am also a mother in Northern Michigan who lives in less than wealthy conditions. I understand every choice she made and have had to make similar ones myself. I love the relationship she has with her daughter. The ending was wonderful. I especially liked where she says happiness is a net to cast out and catch things with.

[Barbi Sherrill · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful. It was a slow, grueling read. 3/4 of it made no sense, whatsoever. It was very all-over-the-place, in every chapter. So many characters mentioned and then forgotten. Much of the paragraphs seemed to have been an afterthought. What was the point in this book, anyway? There was no plot, no actual story line. It seemed like the author just threw whatever she could grasp at the book and hoped for the best. I find the author lazy and careless, in her writings. Absolutely awful.

Also, I got it in the Christian Fiction section but it had numerous swear words. Very unnecessary!

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not even finish.

[Jerry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tin Camp Road by Ellen Airgood, 2021, is a story about a young mom, Laurel, and her ten-year-old daughter, Skye, in current times in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Library of Michigan chose Tin Camp Road for one of the 2022 Michigan Notable Book Awards and the Publishers Weekly gave it a Starred Review.
Airgood introduces the reader to believable characters and a rural part of our country which is both beautiful and a precarious place to live without stable resources. The Kirkus Review says this book is, “An affecting portrait of the region and its residents, filled with love and pride.”
This is personal and loving view of a mother and daughter as they (especially the mother) attempt to navigate the insecurity and scarcity brought on by poverty. Airgood has created an authentic look at one of the many current situations of poverty in America today. Readers feel the emotional and practical consequences of honest efforts to make decisions through the multitude uncertainties. Moreover, readers will appreciate the complexity a young mother faces as she strives to raise her daughter – attempting to lovingly and fully parent - notwithstanding the circumstances she faces.
I think this is an excellent novel and recommend it to everyone from 13 and up. I am betting that Laurel’s determination and mother’s love will draw you in and make you care deeply about her and her future. And I am also betting that Skye’s warm spirit, thrust for learning, and youthful, yet deep, awareness of her mother’s love will also draw you in and make you care deeply about her and her future.
Additionally, this book will give you much to think about related to today’s poor in America.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by Ellen Airgood, and just as with the first one, I found this thoroughly enjoyable. This book is reminiscent of that earlier novel, as both are set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, on the southern shore of Lake Superior. The writer's descriptions of the climate, the small towns, wilderness, and lake make the landscape an essential element of this story. And also consistent with that earlier story, this is the story of a young woman who had a mostly absent or detached mother in her own childhood. In this novel, Laurel Hill is a single mother herself, and she and her ten year old daughter Skye have a very close relationship, quite different than what Laurel had with her own mom, who left her to be raised mostly by her grandmother. But there are many challenges for this mom, as employment opportunities in the small towns of her area are hard to come by, as it housing. At times she tries to work two jobs, but then her time with Skye is cut very short. And at times they are almost homeless, or squatters. Laurel is creative and resourceful, but at times she runs out of options.
So even though this is a book about a young family that struggles on the margins, there are also such sweet moments of sharing between this mom and her child, and Skye is a delightful character.
I hope to see this author writing more fiction, as she does such a good job at creating characters and developing an engrossing story.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a pretext, this was the book I started reading as I underwent knee surgery and my immediate recovery. I have been in a lot of pain and the emotional pain and complicated yet simple characters in this novel were a welcome distraction. The setting of Upper Michigan also has me interested in seeing this part of the Midwest.

The main messages of the novel are very transparent and predictable: maternal drive and happiness in conflict with familial duty and historical preservation. Having a life that is full but not necessarily comfortable (not in the least) combatting American dreams that come from hard work, focus and patience. The overall resilience and relationships between children and mothers especially under extreme poverty, although their poverty is never painted as so bleak as it probably was. The main surprise and delight for me in this story was the genuine kindness of others; how at any age, position, or financial level there is always an opportunity to be kind and unexpectedly generous toward others while allowing them room for their pride.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-wrenching story of a mother and daughter trying to make it below the poverty level while holding fast to the small Lake Superior town where they both grew up. They're both extraordinary people (although the mom doesn't realize it) and that's what makes the story both difficult and heart-warming to read.

I loved the strong sense of place. They both dearly love the area and it essentially becomes another character in the book.

I do wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. I understand what you were doing Ms Airgood, but I also need to tell you that you leave the readers saying "Whaaaat???" Maybe just another paragraph or so? Please?

About the narration: Generally the narration by Marin Ireland was fine. But when you're narrating a book with such a strong sense of place, maybe you could look up the tricky proper nouns on Google to learn how to pronounce them? Say it with me:
Pewabic = poo-wa-bic
Charlevoix = char-la-voy
And most importantly:
Mackinac = Mack-a-naw
It's the number one tourist attraction in the state. Get it right.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely novel. Laurel and her 10 year old daughter Skye have been eking out a living in their small town on the edge of Lake Superior, a town Laurel is committed to because she's the fourth generation of her family to live there. Now, though, things are falling apart because her landlord has decided to convert their rental cottage for tourists and there's no where else to live. Mary Lynn and Paul who bought Laurel's family home and converted it to a B&B offer a sort of lifeline, at least for Skye but Laurel is stuck. A move to a trailer in the woods seems like a positive, even if it's a different town, but .....Laurel will break your heart. She wants nothing more than to be a good mother for Skye, a precocious and intelligent kid who is after all a kid. She's thwarted at almost every turn but keeps getting up. If this sounds depressing, it's not, largely because of the bright spot characters (although Mary Lynn is the epitome of privilege). The storytelling is terrific. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. The last page- well- it might just bring a tear to your eye.

[Linda Palazzolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I consider this a sad but true to life story of a single mom living in a remote area of Michigan’s U.P. The story revolves around Lauren, and her daughter, Sky. Lauren is a hard working proud woman that is devoted to her daughter. The hardships they endure seem never ending. Although Lauren is a determined and positive person, the weight of pride often stops her from getting the help she needs. You don’t find that kind of character much any more. Her immature decisions are often wrought with regret. I believe she’s the product of her environment and no one ever had high expectations of her except her gran. Mother and daughter find solace and wonder and entertainment in the nature and beauty all around them. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is beautiful. The infrastructure, jobs and resources available to the people that choose to live there are minimal and poverty prevails more often than not.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a good story about a young single mother and her precocious daughter, which at times reminded me of Maid. They lived in a precarious state of poverty and intermittent homelessness, and the mother made some negligent decisions. But, it was a little treacly at times, and the end was too nicely tied up in a bow.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book by a Michigan author while traveling in Michigan and did enjoy the descriptions of the beauty of the upper peninsula and the allure of Lake Superior. I almost stopped reading halfway through as the situation of the mom and daughter seemed bleaker at every turn of the page. Just ok overall.

[Dori Sabourin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life Happens

“Tin Camp Road,” a novel by Ellen Airgood is about Laurel Hill, a young, single mother and her daughter. Skye, age 10, who have a very close relationship.

Doing her best in raising Skye, Laurel tries to keep her promises to Skye, but sometimes work and life, in general, get in the way and she is unable to fulfill the promises.

In addition, as with all mothers, single and married, Laurel doesn’t always make wise decisions, turning both her life and Skye's Topsy-turvy.

What decision did Laurel make that caused her and Skye be separated for a while? Did Skye have any idea of what would happen when she called 911?