The book “Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley follows Daunis Fontaine, a teenager caught between her Native American heritage and her life in a small Michigan town.
After witnessing a shocking murder, she becomes part of an FBI investigation into a dangerous drug ring that threatens her community. The story combines her search for truth with her connection to Ojibwe culture, exploring themes of identity and resilience.
“The Big Bounce” by Elmore Leonard is set in northern Michigan and follows 21-year-old Jack Ryan, a drifter who often finds himself in trouble. After losing his local job, he gets involved with Nancy, a thrill-seeking woman connected to a shady real estate developer.
The story takes place across beaches, resort towns, and the darker side of the area, as Jack is drawn into schemes that could lead to his downfall.
Ander Monson’s “Other Electricities” is a fragmented and poetic novel set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It weaves together stories of loss, isolation, and community in a snowy, remote landscape.
The book follows characters connected by small-town ties, as they deal with grief and search for meaning. Through vignettes and memories, it paints a portrait of life in a place where the cold and distance reflect the struggles of its residents.
“Middlesex” by Jeffrey Eugenides tells the story of Calliope Stephanides, who is born intersex and grows up in a Greek-American family in Detroit.
The novel spans generations, from the family’s immigration to the United States to their life in Michigan, weaving together the family’s history and Calliope’s journey of self-discovery. It explores identity, heritage, and the changes both within a person and across time.
“The Virgin Suicides” by Jeffrey Eugenides is set in a suburban Michigan neighborhood during the 1970s. The story focuses on the five Lisbon sisters, whose lives fascinate the local boys.
After the youngest sister commits suicide, the family becomes more isolated, and the boys watch their world fall apart from afar. The book is narrated from the boys’ collective perspective years later, as they try to piece together the tragic events that remain a haunting mystery.
“Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis tells the story of a 10-year-old boy named Bud Caldwell. Set during the Great Depression in Michigan, Bud leaves the orphanage where he lives to search for his father.
With a suitcase of treasures and a lot of hope, he embarks on a journey that leads him to jazz clubs, trains, and unexpected friendships. The story highlights resilience and self-discovery through Bud’s adventures.
Elmore Leonard wrote “Killshot,” a crime novel about a couple who witness an extortion plot, which puts them in danger from two criminals—a hitman named Armand Degas and a reckless, small-time hustler, Richie Nix.
The gritty story follows their struggle to stay alive while the two criminals bring chaos into their lives. Set partly in Michigan, the book combines tense action with characters who feel real and flawed.
The book “The Mighty Miss Malone” by Christopher Paul Curtis follows the story of Deza Malone, a smart and determined young girl growing up in 1930s Michigan during the Great Depression.
Deza’s family faces struggles with poverty and separation, but her hope and wit shine as she navigates the challenges of the time. The story paints a vivid picture of life in Gary, Indiana, and Flint, Michigan, capturing both hardship and resilience through Deza’s eyes.
The novel “The Turner House” by Angela Flournoy focuses on a family of thirteen siblings in Detroit, grappling with the fate of their childhood home as the city undergoes change.
It dives into the family’s history and relationships, sharing moments of struggle, love, and resilience. The story shifts between the past and present, exploring their father’s migration from the South and how their lives evolved.
At the center is the house, a symbol of their family’s roots and conflicts, as they face questions about inheritance and belonging.
“The House with a Clock in Its Walls” by John Bellairs follows a young boy named Lewis Barnavelt who moves in with his eccentric uncle in New Zebedee, Michigan. Lewis discovers that his uncle is a warlock, and the house hides a mysterious clock buried within its walls.
When Lewis accidentally awakens a dangerous magical force, he has to confront the strange and terrifying secrets of the house as he tries to stop a looming disaster.
The book “The Road to Wellville” by T. C. Boyle takes readers to Battle Creek, Michigan, in the early 1900s. It follows the story of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a health fanatic who runs a sanitarium promising cures through bizarre treatments and strict diets.
Interwoven are the lives of wealthy patients seeking health and a desperate entrepreneur trying to cash in on the booming cereal industry. It’s a mix of eccentric characters, strange therapies, and chaotic ambitions set against the backdrop of wellness mania.
Joyce Carol Oates wrote “them,” a powerful story about a family in Detroit grappling with poverty, violence, and their dreams of a better life.
The novel focuses on Loretta, a young woman whose choices shape the lives of her children, Jules and Maureen, as they navigate a city filled with both hope and devastation.
The book paints vivid scenes of Detroit in the 1930s through the 1960s, capturing the struggles and fragile aspirations of its characters.
The novel “Hystopia” by David Means is set in an alternate 1970s Michigan where President Kennedy has survived and the country deals with the trauma of the Vietnam War through a government program that literally erases memories.
The story follows a group of veterans resisting this program, along with a novelist crafting his own narrative about the war. The book blends surreal elements with the grit of Michigan landscapes, creating a world that feels unsettling yet vivid.
Ann Patchett’s “Tom Lake” is a story about family, memory, and how the past shapes the present. It follows Lara, a former actress, as she recounts a summer from her youth to her three daughters while they all work together on their family orchard in Michigan.
Her tale includes her romance with a famous actor and the choices that led her to her current life. The novel weaves together Lara’s younger years with the family’s life during the pandemic, creating a connection between past and present.
Upton Sinclair’s “The Flivver King: A Story of Ford-America” tells the story of Abner Shutt, a humble worker in Henry Ford’s factories, and how his life changes as Ford’s empire grows.
The novel contrasts the struggles of ordinary workers like Abner with the ambitions of Ford himself, painting a vivid picture of the rise of the automobile industry and its impact on American society.
Through Abner’s family, Sinclair captures both hope and hardship in the face of economic shifts and shifting labor conditions.
D. Harlan Wilson’s “Blankety Blank” is a surreal and absurdist novel set in Grand River, Michigan. The story focuses on a disturbed real estate agent, Pauly Keystone, as he navigates bizarre situations involving his crumbling mental state and the strange world around him.
With its unpredictable events and dark humor, the book paints a disjointed yet fascinating view of small-town life twisted into chaos.
The book “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger follows the love story of Henry, a man with a rare genetic condition that causes him to involuntarily travel through time, and Clare, the woman who loves him despite the challenges this brings.
Their relationship weaves through different moments in their lives, creating a story that is both unusual and heartfelt. As Henry’s travels disrupt their lives in unpredictable ways, the bond between them is tested again and again.
“Angel Eyes” by Loren D. Estleman is a gritty mystery set in Detroit. It follows private investigator Amos Walker as he searches for a missing actress. The trail leads him through the city’s darker corners, revealing an underworld of crime and corruption.
Walker’s sharp wit and determination drive the story, which captures both the danger and decay of Detroit during the 1980s.
The novel “The Dollmaker” by Harriette Simpson Arnow follows Gertie Nevels, a strong-willed woman from Kentucky, who moves with her family to Detroit during World War II. Gertie dreams of owning her own farm, but life in the industrial city tests her resilience and values.
The story captures the clash between rural traditions and urban struggles, as Gertie navigates the fallout of sacrifice, poverty, and the toll of unfulfilled aspirations.