Title: South of Superior
Author: Ellen Airgood
Published: May 2011
Published By: Riverhead Books
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Genre: Contemporary
Date Read: April 10 2015
Rating: 2.5/5
After losing the woman who raised her to cancer, Madeline
receives a letter of condolence in the mail from Gladys the girlfriend of her
deceased maternal grandfather. In the letter she asks for Madeline’s help
taking care of her aged and ailing sister Arbutus. This would mean a move back
to the town of her birth: McAllaster Michigan on Lake Superior’s Upper
Peninsula. Deeply affected by the abandonment of first her mother then her
grandfather as a young child, Madeline is curious to understand why they made
the decisions they did and to learn more about her family. She agrees to take on
the job of Arbutus’s caregiver and moves to the small town to live with the two
sisters. McAllastar is a very poor and bleak town with little to offer its few
inhabitants. In fact this fictional town is so poor that the Great Depression
didn’t bring on much of a shock to the way of life there. To give a better idea of
its imagined location, its nearest city would be Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. This
debut novel by Ellen Airgood examines life in small towns and how they are affected by the modern ideals of outsiders who move to the area. But most
importantly South of Superior is about a woman who is trying to find a life and
purpose for herself while reliving the pain of her past.
I came across this book a couple of years ago at a library
book sale and I admit it was the covers plaid detail and inviting picture that
caught my eye. The synopsis sounded interesting enough so I picked it up. When
it came to the top of my to-read pile I had forgotten what South of Superior
was about, but instead of rereading the synopsis I decided to only read the
review quotes that was included by other authors. I began reading this book
expecting a heartfelt read that would be memorable and captivating.
Fast forward to today, several days after I finished reading
South of Superior and I’m scratching my head trying to think of something to
say about it. Thankfully I kept some quick jot notes as I read. Although I
don’t think that it was written badly, it certainly didn’t meet the
expectations I had as a result of the quotes on the front and back cover. I
felt sad for Madeline, considering the abandonment she dealt with as a young
child, but I wasn’t able to relate to her very much. As for the other
characters, they were ok. I was interested to read and learn the family secrets
unfold, but they didn’t really deliver an impact that left me emotionally
attached.
Ellen Airgood’s strength is clearly in her descriptions.
Some of which were so vivid I could see the town clearly in my mind. And due to
McAllastar’s poverty and location it physically made me feel damp and cold, but
not in a haunting way. The pace of the story moved along at an even keel
throughout telling its history a bit at a time.
Although I think the author is a talented writer, Madeline’s
story just didn’t grip me like I had hoped so I have no plans to read South of
Superior again.
