South of Superior

In McAllister, Michigan, located on the southern edge of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, life is hard and residents in this small town take care of each other and live frugally to make ends meet.

Madeline Stone comes to McAllister to live with two elderly women, Gladys and Arbutus. Madeline knows of these women through her grandfather who had a relationship with Gladys. When Madeline was deserted by her mother as a child her grandfather refused to take her in, and now even after his death, she wants to know more about him and this woman who knew him. Plus, Madeline is running away from a few things herself- her broken engagement and the loss of the woman who raised her are both fresh in Madeline's mind and heart. Although life in McAllister is different than what she is used to, Madeline begins to enjoy her time in this small town and appreciate the residents ability to accept each other for what they are.

South of Superior was another title I had awaiting me as a summer beach read, and it did not disappoint. Parts of it reminded me a bit of my own small town upbringing, although McAllister is much more remote and almost had a Northern Exposure feel to me. While this is primarily Madeline's story, Airgood introduces to a cast of interesting characters who reside in McAllister, all unique and memorable.

I loved the setting of this one especially, and hope Airgood plans on writing more books in the near future.