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News of the Air
Allie Krane is heavily pregnant when she and her husband flee urban life after a rash of eco-terrorism breaks out in their city. They reinvent themselves as the proprietors of a northwoods fishing resort, where they live in relative peace for nearly two decades. That is, until two strange children arrive by canoe. Like the small ecological disasters lapping yearly at their shore, have the problems of the modern world finally found Allie, her husband, and their troubled cypher of a teenage daughter? This eco-novel of a family, told from three points of view, explores how we remake our lives once we open our hearts to all the news we've chosen to ignore.
- GenresFiction
350 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2022
4 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 16, 2023
NEWS OF THE AIR is a debut novel by a local-to-me author, Jill Stukenberg. It has been on my TBR since it's publication last September and this was the nudge I needed.
I was completely engrossed with the story (perfectly paced), characters (scarred and complex) and writing (vivid and nuanced). Set in the rugged, rural Wisconsin Northwoods and Upper Peninsula of Michigan, there is such a strong sense of place.I love reading books that take place near home. The culture of this part of the world is so unique. From the small lakeside resorts and bars where residents meet to the sound of the lake and cars moving along long, quiet stretches of treelined roads, the details rang true to this Wisconsinite.
Can't wait to see what Stukenberg writes next.
I was completely engrossed with the story (perfectly paced), characters (scarred and complex) and writing (vivid and nuanced). Set in the rugged, rural Wisconsin Northwoods and Upper Peninsula of Michigan, there is such a strong sense of place.I love reading books that take place near home. The culture of this part of the world is so unique. From the small lakeside resorts and bars where residents meet to the sound of the lake and cars moving along long, quiet stretches of treelined roads, the details rang true to this Wisconsinite.
Can't wait to see what Stukenberg writes next.
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December 29, 2024yay for getting back into reading!!!
October 4, 2022
The North Woods fills with summer people that usually leave after Labor Day, but not this time. Honored to have interviewed author Jill Stukenberg for the New Books Network: https://newbooksnetwork.com/news-of-t...
September 23, 2022
Mysterious and Compelling Writing!
Can a train wreck be gentle? Lovely, even?
I kept asking myself this question as I read Jill Stukenberg’s debut novel, News of the Air (Black Lawrence Press, 2022). The answer of course is no, but Stukenberg’s mysterious and compelling writing gives that illusion. We know the crash is coming, may even be occurring. But we are willing to witness as she insists her characters come face-to-face with their own conflicting feelings, their own hard-fought decisions, their own heart wrenching discoveries. Stukenberg entices us forward and we gladly follow the shadow of eco-terrorism around the next bend, through the rapidly disappearing beauty of the Northwoods. Our understanding of the horror of this collision grows, yet we stay right there with those characters because the writing is magic and because Stukenberg is gently coaxing us to face our own conflicts, face our own budding awareness of the risk of ignoring what’s right there in front of us.
Can a train wreck be gentle? Lovely, even?
I kept asking myself this question as I read Jill Stukenberg’s debut novel, News of the Air (Black Lawrence Press, 2022). The answer of course is no, but Stukenberg’s mysterious and compelling writing gives that illusion. We know the crash is coming, may even be occurring. But we are willing to witness as she insists her characters come face-to-face with their own conflicting feelings, their own hard-fought decisions, their own heart wrenching discoveries. Stukenberg entices us forward and we gladly follow the shadow of eco-terrorism around the next bend, through the rapidly disappearing beauty of the Northwoods. Our understanding of the horror of this collision grows, yet we stay right there with those characters because the writing is magic and because Stukenberg is gently coaxing us to face our own conflicts, face our own budding awareness of the risk of ignoring what’s right there in front of us.
September 2, 2022
Is this novel dystopian? Maybe, but the setting feels exactly like what life will be like a few years down the road. Problems with immigration/emigration? Yes. Climate issues? Yes. A wide division between the rich and the poor? Yes. But in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, how much of these problems does one deal with on a daily basis? Stukenberg does such a great job on the setting. The place (the Northwoods) is there, all around you, alive. The details of the near-future are sprinkles of information. But the core of the novel is the story of a family of three: mother, father, teenage daughter. Their relationships have shifted. Each struggles with their own identity, in a world that is also struggling. The characters are so well crafted, and Stukenberg's prose is lovely. Highly recommended.
September 28, 2022
An intriguing look at the plausible, futuristic view of climate change. If you love Northern Michigan as we do, you’ll be interested in what the author predicts for its future, as well as our future in general.
June 16, 2022
On the whole if the world were changing–its weather patterns and disasters, the sheer number of people and how and where they lived, worked, moved, and what there was to feed them–it was only changing as it had always been, in increments, with time enough for response if things got serious.
from News of the Air by Jill Stuckenberg
There are days when I wish I had a grandchild, and days when I am glad I have no descendent to cast into the murky waters of a world on a trajectory to disaster. I try to remember that my ancestors suffered persecution, forced immigration, pandemics, war, and social turmoil. I try to remember that the gyre might arc and return humanity to a better golden age. That at the last minute, we seem to put our shoulder to the wheel and turn the ship around before we hit the iceberg. It’s a daily challenge to choose hope over cynicism.
In News of the Air, debut author Jill Stukenberg imagines a woman who saw the world veering into disaster and choses to raise her child apart, convincing her husband to buy a north woods retreat. The cabins were run down, but nestled in the woods along a river in northern Wisconsin. Allie thought it a perfect haven, a shelter for their child. Bud isn’t so sure.
Now, their homeschooled daughter Cassie wants to break free, asking to go to high school for senior year. One of her friends from orchestra, Hattie, has tragically died and her death has become a wedge between Cassie and her mother. Allie is losing her daughter to the world. And she may be losing her husband to another woman.
Toward the end of the season an older woman arrives with two children. Cassie believes the woman has abducted her grandchildren. The mystery of these visitors and why Hattie chose death divide mother and daughter.
As a Michigander, I have spent enough time in the Upper Peninsula to recognize the world Stukenberg recreates. The deep woods and the lapping lakes, the bars where locals meet, the long stretches of empty roads, the green flashes of light in the night sky. Lake Superior’s vastness, the bridge spanning the straits. But her near-future world is disarming. She deftly weaves ecological collapse into the story. People flee the cities to backpack in the woods all summer. The wealthy have their resorts and cruel games. Schools and libraries are closing. The borders with Canada are are heavily guarded.
And yet the two things were connected–Hattie and the messed up planet; everything that withered for lack of human kindness, was slowly poisoned, so casually, by carelessness–or by outright cruelty and greed.
from News of the Air by Jill Stuckenberg
I was taken by these characters who each struggle with finding their place in the world. Knowing where one belongs, when to stay and when to go. I appreciated Stukenberg’s subtle handling of the environmental and social issues into the story. This is a family drama, a coming of age story, with elements of mystery and dystopian fiction.
I received an ARC from Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity. My review is fair and unbiased.
from News of the Air by Jill Stuckenberg
There are days when I wish I had a grandchild, and days when I am glad I have no descendent to cast into the murky waters of a world on a trajectory to disaster. I try to remember that my ancestors suffered persecution, forced immigration, pandemics, war, and social turmoil. I try to remember that the gyre might arc and return humanity to a better golden age. That at the last minute, we seem to put our shoulder to the wheel and turn the ship around before we hit the iceberg. It’s a daily challenge to choose hope over cynicism.
In News of the Air, debut author Jill Stukenberg imagines a woman who saw the world veering into disaster and choses to raise her child apart, convincing her husband to buy a north woods retreat. The cabins were run down, but nestled in the woods along a river in northern Wisconsin. Allie thought it a perfect haven, a shelter for their child. Bud isn’t so sure.
Now, their homeschooled daughter Cassie wants to break free, asking to go to high school for senior year. One of her friends from orchestra, Hattie, has tragically died and her death has become a wedge between Cassie and her mother. Allie is losing her daughter to the world. And she may be losing her husband to another woman.
Toward the end of the season an older woman arrives with two children. Cassie believes the woman has abducted her grandchildren. The mystery of these visitors and why Hattie chose death divide mother and daughter.
As a Michigander, I have spent enough time in the Upper Peninsula to recognize the world Stukenberg recreates. The deep woods and the lapping lakes, the bars where locals meet, the long stretches of empty roads, the green flashes of light in the night sky. Lake Superior’s vastness, the bridge spanning the straits. But her near-future world is disarming. She deftly weaves ecological collapse into the story. People flee the cities to backpack in the woods all summer. The wealthy have their resorts and cruel games. Schools and libraries are closing. The borders with Canada are are heavily guarded.
And yet the two things were connected–Hattie and the messed up planet; everything that withered for lack of human kindness, was slowly poisoned, so casually, by carelessness–or by outright cruelty and greed.
from News of the Air by Jill Stuckenberg
I was taken by these characters who each struggle with finding their place in the world. Knowing where one belongs, when to stay and when to go. I appreciated Stukenberg’s subtle handling of the environmental and social issues into the story. This is a family drama, a coming of age story, with elements of mystery and dystopian fiction.
I received an ARC from Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity. My review is fair and unbiased.
August 23, 2022
An interesting story centered around some interesting characters. There's some drama and some mystery, and some struggle. The author writes pretty well, and created a good tale that mostly kept me engaged. I hope she continues to write.
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!
April 1, 2024
Reviewed by Courtney Hall on www.rowanglassworks.org.
It’s not every day that people run to the Northwoods, particularly in the Wisconsin region, for safety and stability. Yet it proves itself to be the perfect backdrop for Jill Stukenberg’s News of the Air. In this novel, Stukenberg paints the picture of a near future with repeated violent protests flooding the cities and wildfires rampaging the rest. In what starts off with a similar feel toThe Handmaid’s Tale, Stukenberg details the journey of a young family, especially the mother, sacrificing the pleasures of city life for a new, safer life in the woods where her daughter can stretch her legs and peace can envelop them all. However, as life goes on, the daunting realization creeps up that trouble is everywhere and that running away from your problems often creates new ones, maybe even ones that you can’t run from anymore.
In the prologue, Stukenberg sets the tone for what is to come. “On the whole if the world were changing… it was only changing as it had always been, in increments, with time enough for response if things got serious” (5). The state of the world was increasingly getting more tense with too many people flocking to cities and sucking up more resources than it could provide. Seeing what was only inevitable, husband and wife Bud and Allie decide to purchase a small resort in the Northwoods to make their new home. Noting, “No matter what was going on in the world, people would always need their little getaways,” (5) they saw this as an opportunity for a new, simpler life with the added bonus of income and accessibility to the water and Canada if escape was ever needed.
It’s hard not to see the mirror being held up to the world while reading this book. With political, geographical, and environmental tensions exponentially increasing in the last two decades, let alone the last six years, Stukenberg creates a narrative that many people today wish to play out themselves. Growing tired of the rat race, inflation, affordability, safety, and pollution, many young people long for simpler times. However, Stukenberg’s narrative is successful in reminding the audience that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. As the story progresses, we learn that the Northwoods provides the ultimate grounds for infidelity in their marriage, the bullying and eventual suicide of a classmate of their daughter’s, isolation, shady business, those running from the law, and more. Not only this, but what does a baby who was raised in the remote wilderness make of their life as an adult? We are reminded that a remote land with little to no cell phone service, unmarked roads, and generations of lifelong residents with tight lips can be the opposite of paradise or even a safe haven.
Stukenberg shows us throughout the novel that the conflict of the “outside” will inevitably find a way to seep into the once thought private lives of the characters. Much of the conflict in this novel is centered around three mystery guests that appear at the family’s resort by canoe and jet ski; a grandmother and her two seemingly orphaned grandchildren on the lam. When Cassie, Bud and Allie’s daughter, is mature enough to become aware that these children aren’t necessarily neglected by their parents, that these children have two living parents that didn’t leave them to their grandmother, her negative feelings towards her parents begin to deepen and her rebellion grows. Stukenberg does an effective job of showing the strained relationship between mother and daughter as Allie sets her attention on guests, neighbors, and seemingly anyone other than Cassie, her one and only child. In turn, Cassie begins to flex her independence in new ways. As a child she would tinker with paddle boats and electronics; as an adult, she is beginning to build relationships with others in the Northwoods outside of her parents. Her curiosity and hunger for the truth leads her to stray away from the bubble her mother had built around her. It forces Bud and Allie to question their style of upbringing and if retreating into wilderness really was the best thing for their budding family at the time. It forces the reader to question if sheltering oneself from danger really protects them from the danger, or if it leaves them blind and ignorant to the harsh realities one must inevitably face in this life.
It’s almost ingrained in us to worry about the future, especially for those with children that will experience a future beyond their own. The idea of leaving what was once called home for the promise of a better future is certainly coded into human nature. Some may see it as going to where the resources are, but in today’s world it can also be seen as running away from one’s problems. As many of us eventually learn in life, problems have a funny way of following us wherever we go or exchange themselves for new ones. That is certainly the case in News of the Air where the main characters leave their cushioned lives for one filled with manual labor, unmarked roads, and prying neighbors who start their morning with a light beer rather than coffee. In the end, not everybody remains in the Northwoods because of the ever changing climate and the never ending change of one's sense of self. What Stukenberg conveys to the audience is that it’s not up to the environment to promise a better tomorrow—it’s up to us.
It’s not every day that people run to the Northwoods, particularly in the Wisconsin region, for safety and stability. Yet it proves itself to be the perfect backdrop for Jill Stukenberg’s News of the Air. In this novel, Stukenberg paints the picture of a near future with repeated violent protests flooding the cities and wildfires rampaging the rest. In what starts off with a similar feel toThe Handmaid’s Tale, Stukenberg details the journey of a young family, especially the mother, sacrificing the pleasures of city life for a new, safer life in the woods where her daughter can stretch her legs and peace can envelop them all. However, as life goes on, the daunting realization creeps up that trouble is everywhere and that running away from your problems often creates new ones, maybe even ones that you can’t run from anymore.
In the prologue, Stukenberg sets the tone for what is to come. “On the whole if the world were changing… it was only changing as it had always been, in increments, with time enough for response if things got serious” (5). The state of the world was increasingly getting more tense with too many people flocking to cities and sucking up more resources than it could provide. Seeing what was only inevitable, husband and wife Bud and Allie decide to purchase a small resort in the Northwoods to make their new home. Noting, “No matter what was going on in the world, people would always need their little getaways,” (5) they saw this as an opportunity for a new, simpler life with the added bonus of income and accessibility to the water and Canada if escape was ever needed.
It’s hard not to see the mirror being held up to the world while reading this book. With political, geographical, and environmental tensions exponentially increasing in the last two decades, let alone the last six years, Stukenberg creates a narrative that many people today wish to play out themselves. Growing tired of the rat race, inflation, affordability, safety, and pollution, many young people long for simpler times. However, Stukenberg’s narrative is successful in reminding the audience that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. As the story progresses, we learn that the Northwoods provides the ultimate grounds for infidelity in their marriage, the bullying and eventual suicide of a classmate of their daughter’s, isolation, shady business, those running from the law, and more. Not only this, but what does a baby who was raised in the remote wilderness make of their life as an adult? We are reminded that a remote land with little to no cell phone service, unmarked roads, and generations of lifelong residents with tight lips can be the opposite of paradise or even a safe haven.
Stukenberg shows us throughout the novel that the conflict of the “outside” will inevitably find a way to seep into the once thought private lives of the characters. Much of the conflict in this novel is centered around three mystery guests that appear at the family’s resort by canoe and jet ski; a grandmother and her two seemingly orphaned grandchildren on the lam. When Cassie, Bud and Allie’s daughter, is mature enough to become aware that these children aren’t necessarily neglected by their parents, that these children have two living parents that didn’t leave them to their grandmother, her negative feelings towards her parents begin to deepen and her rebellion grows. Stukenberg does an effective job of showing the strained relationship between mother and daughter as Allie sets her attention on guests, neighbors, and seemingly anyone other than Cassie, her one and only child. In turn, Cassie begins to flex her independence in new ways. As a child she would tinker with paddle boats and electronics; as an adult, she is beginning to build relationships with others in the Northwoods outside of her parents. Her curiosity and hunger for the truth leads her to stray away from the bubble her mother had built around her. It forces Bud and Allie to question their style of upbringing and if retreating into wilderness really was the best thing for their budding family at the time. It forces the reader to question if sheltering oneself from danger really protects them from the danger, or if it leaves them blind and ignorant to the harsh realities one must inevitably face in this life.
It’s almost ingrained in us to worry about the future, especially for those with children that will experience a future beyond their own. The idea of leaving what was once called home for the promise of a better future is certainly coded into human nature. Some may see it as going to where the resources are, but in today’s world it can also be seen as running away from one’s problems. As many of us eventually learn in life, problems have a funny way of following us wherever we go or exchange themselves for new ones. That is certainly the case in News of the Air where the main characters leave their cushioned lives for one filled with manual labor, unmarked roads, and prying neighbors who start their morning with a light beer rather than coffee. In the end, not everybody remains in the Northwoods because of the ever changing climate and the never ending change of one's sense of self. What Stukenberg conveys to the audience is that it’s not up to the environment to promise a better tomorrow—it’s up to us.
Read
March 25, 2023My review from @marykrawczyk_writer
I loved the Wisconsin Northwoods setting and the complex characters. The story takes place in an imagined not-so-distant future. Climate change has spurred migration and border controls between states and especially into Canada.
Allie and her husband Bud left Chicago over eighteen years ago to run a rambling resort in Vilas County. It's the type of place where the same families book the same cabins each year, kids can't wait to jump off the raft, and friends new and old gather around the fire for s'mores.
The story is told from three viewpoints - Allie, Bud, and their eighteen-year-old daughter Cassie. When two children and their grandmother mysteriously show up at the resort, the fragile relationships between the family members begin to falter. Allie, Bud, and Cassie must each struggle to find their own way.
With tensions developing and increasing between various characters and underlying elements of mystery and suspense, I couldn't put this down.
This book will appeal especially to people familiar with Wisconsin and the Northwoods. Highly recommended!
I loved the Wisconsin Northwoods setting and the complex characters. The story takes place in an imagined not-so-distant future. Climate change has spurred migration and border controls between states and especially into Canada.
Allie and her husband Bud left Chicago over eighteen years ago to run a rambling resort in Vilas County. It's the type of place where the same families book the same cabins each year, kids can't wait to jump off the raft, and friends new and old gather around the fire for s'mores.
The story is told from three viewpoints - Allie, Bud, and their eighteen-year-old daughter Cassie. When two children and their grandmother mysteriously show up at the resort, the fragile relationships between the family members begin to falter. Allie, Bud, and Cassie must each struggle to find their own way.
With tensions developing and increasing between various characters and underlying elements of mystery and suspense, I couldn't put this down.
This book will appeal especially to people familiar with Wisconsin and the Northwoods. Highly recommended!
December 4, 2024
The biggest struggles I had while reading this book came from the status of the book's world never being firmly established. I could tell that the plot took place in a slightly futuristic world with ecological and political turmoil, but I felt like I needed to know more specifics to get grounded in the book. Because of this, I also struggled to fully understand the main themes the author was trying to establish.
There were certainly some interesting plot points started, but it felt like the author presented some of them and then only briefly returned to them again, focusing instead on some events that seemed slightly less interesting. I also at points struggled to understand how all the events happening connected to each other in order to create a bigger theme.
I really wish I would have liked this book more, but I just felt like there was a lot missing that could have created much more tension and helped the book better reflect and comment on the state of our current world.
There were certainly some interesting plot points started, but it felt like the author presented some of them and then only briefly returned to them again, focusing instead on some events that seemed slightly less interesting. I also at points struggled to understand how all the events happening connected to each other in order to create a bigger theme.
I really wish I would have liked this book more, but I just felt like there was a lot missing that could have created much more tension and helped the book better reflect and comment on the state of our current world.
October 25, 2022
News of the Air is full of tension and mystery, but it's beautiful, too. I loved reading about this isolated community in Northern Wisconsin and this full cast of complicated characters, each trying to to make their best way through this mess of a world. I often felt off balance as I read it, and I could not have predicted how the book would end, and yet there is a sense of inevitability to it all as some of the characters form tender if tenuous alliances, and others find their way into solitude.
January 7, 2023
Excellent read! The three narrative characters are well-developed, and while I was annoyed with each of them at multiple points, I couldn't help but feel myself rooting for them in the end. The descriptions of the Northwoods were spot on. The way the political and environmental issues of this world loomed in the background (instead of smacking you in the face) made them even more believable. I would recommend this book to anyone who's ever been to the Northwoods, because it's always fun to see places you know name-dropped in fiction. Also, the story is great!
January 29, 2023
3.5? Not sure how to rate this...liked idea of the setting in northern Wisconsin and Michigan
Maybe too many different plot lines
Author's vision of what climate change will do for our land and our lifestyles
Maybe too many different plot lines
Author's vision of what climate change will do for our land and our lifestyles
November 9, 2024
I love a book that makes you feel like you are neighbors with the characters in it. This one does exactly that. It brought out all kinds of emotions for each member of the Krane family at every twist and turn in the story.
February 3, 2023
Interesting story. Read for my book club. Not sure I liked the ending
Read
July 14, 2023Interesting plot with a strong sense of place and complicated characters. Just a bit creepy in spots.
April 24, 2025
It was nice to read about places in Wisconsin but the story line was too slow for me.
May 20, 2025
One of the dumbest, most disjointed books I've ever read. Don't bother. Especially if you're from Wisconsin.
December 18, 2025
Yooper-approved! What a story.
October 6, 2022
I couldn't put it down. AND every time I did I felt like I was returning from a grounding weekend in the northwoods. I loved the mystery and can't wait to read another from this author.
February 18, 2023
Stukenberg takes her readers into the Northern backwoods of Wisconsin and so much of it felt dead-on. The culture of the small bar and the inhabitants of the rural areas rang so familiar to this Wisconsin resident. The details are exactly right. Like being able to judge where someone is coming from by the amount of snow on their car.
The author also captures the misconceptions family members have with another. Allie assumes that Cassie is lying and defying her no phone punishment. So much so that she drives Cassie to do just that. Cassie assumes that her mom is cold and unsympathetic when in fact her daughter is the most important thing in her life.
Like Alison, Bud, and Cassie Krane, we the readers are inside the isolated life at the small fishing resort that has its own challenges.
Then two strange children arrive in a canoe and this family must face the reality of their relationships to each other and their relationship to an increasing itinerant population.
The outside world of natural upheaval is slowly causing people to become itinerant. Enough so that it is now changing the previously quiet life at the small resort. This story is set in the near future and provides a realistic depiction of the way climate certainty could unfold. That is because it is not an apocalyptic event. Life goes on, but safety and security is gone.
I loved this book. The characters are engaging and honest. Stuckenberg was masterful at giving the reader all the information throughout the book, but with enough mystery that people keep turning the page to put it all together.
The author also captures the misconceptions family members have with another. Allie assumes that Cassie is lying and defying her no phone punishment. So much so that she drives Cassie to do just that. Cassie assumes that her mom is cold and unsympathetic when in fact her daughter is the most important thing in her life.
Like Alison, Bud, and Cassie Krane, we the readers are inside the isolated life at the small fishing resort that has its own challenges.
Then two strange children arrive in a canoe and this family must face the reality of their relationships to each other and their relationship to an increasing itinerant population.
The outside world of natural upheaval is slowly causing people to become itinerant. Enough so that it is now changing the previously quiet life at the small resort. This story is set in the near future and provides a realistic depiction of the way climate certainty could unfold. That is because it is not an apocalyptic event. Life goes on, but safety and security is gone.
I loved this book. The characters are engaging and honest. Stuckenberg was masterful at giving the reader all the information throughout the book, but with enough mystery that people keep turning the page to put it all together.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews