Haunted Marquette: Ghost Stories from the Queen City (Book) - 1/6/2018 9:22:01 AM
I didn't know that Marquette was so haunted! ;-) With the Great Lakes at its doorstep, Marquette does seem to be a place where sailors tales would spread.
I don't recall hearing any ghost stories when I lived in Wausau, Marshfield or Menomonie. Wausau certainly has them. And I've often thought what it would've been like if Mabel Tainter, who died young and was immortalized by her father Capt. Tainter, a lumber baron with a Menomonie theater, had a love affair with Leland Stanford, Jr., who died young and was immortalized by his father, Gov. Leland Stanford with a university. There could be a story there.
Ron
The Best Place (Book) - 9/23/2013 8:46:39 AM
What do King Arthur, Lyla Hopewell, and Marquette, MI have in common? (Answer to follow)
Lyla Hopewell is full of spunk, spitfire, and is as tough as they come. Sometimes growing up in an orphanage will do that to someone. And, sometimes, when the pain is really deep, from let’s say . . . losing your family, that spunk and spitfire can burn inward until there is nothing left but empty bitterness. Lyla’s journey to finding herself and learning the mysteries of her past is a long one. People think that when you reach a certain age that you can no longer learn anything. Lyla can tell you a different story because she doesn’t stop learning in 2005 when she is 77 years old. That whole year blossoms into something beautiful from one single, quiet closed-up life. And, all the time that Lyla is learning to live her best friend Bel is experiencing her own difficult times, and this sets a bit of a small wedge between the life-long friends.
Now, I can’t tell you what happens between the girls because I’ve still got about 40 more pages to read. I didn’t want to spoil the ending for anyone and I knew I might just do that—so I stopped short.
What I can tell you is the character development in this story is excellent. Each person has strong definitive lines that are kept within in their own personality traits. And, I don’t understand how the author can live inside a little girl’s head, go through the pain that this woman went through for 77 years, and then little by little as that magical year of 2005 passes by, all the bitterness starts to melt away, and she finally realizes what her life has meant and what wonderful possibilities she has in front of her. How can someone who is absolutely crazy about King Arthur, and Marquette, MI possibly know what goes on in the life of an old woman? Wait! I forgot . . . it’s not one old woman--I forgot Lyla’s friend, Bel. Not only that, but he absolutely nails the personality of the snippy, smart aleck 14 year old, and the 25 to 35 year old who is in love with the son of Lyla’s one-and-only pitiful romance from year’s past.
Now, no one gets murdered in this book, there’s no bloodshed to speak of, and really no violence going on—well . . . there would have been if Lyla could have gotten her hands on that little smart aleck, Josie. She sure tried hard enough to catch her—and, for a 77 year old woman she sure gave that little girl a good chase. So, if you don’t mind missing all the gory stuff and would just like to cuddle up with a really good story—then, this is your book. Look at it this way--anyone who can write about King Arthur and Marquette, MI and still write a really great book about a woman’s life has got to be a very well-rounded, talented author.
Thank you Tyler Tichelaar for this lovely copy of your book “The Best Place,” and for the opportunity to give you my honest opinion of what I read. I can’t wait for what you have in store for us next time.
Spirit of the North: a paranormal romance (Book) - 5/6/2013 3:19:15 PM
It’s time for bed and I’ve been reading a bit of this story every night. I just reached for the book and realized I finished it. What a letdown. The characters were part of my bedtime routine, but they are all busy in their own world now. I wonder how Barbara and Adele are doing now.
This is the second book I’ve read by Tyler Tichelaar. I have to say, that it was as equally charming and quaint a tale, of days gone by, as “The Only Thing That Lasts,” which was the first book I read. What really caught me up in the story was the daring and tenacity that these two girls showed by trying to live in their uncle’s abandoned Michigan cabin for a winter. There’s something that touches my heart about women who brave the odds and stick out the hardships of surviving against nature as if it were no more difficult than missing a bus and walking to work. However, for Barbara and Adele, it was not very easy—yet, they did survive. Of course, they had a bit of help from time to time from some local loggers who turned out to be a bit more intriguing than the first blush of fascination young girls have for young men when they meet.
Somehow this story reminded me most of “A Girl of the Limberlost” by Gene Stratton Porter, and I’m trying to figure out why. The two stories had nothing to do with each other except perhaps the years the stories were set in. I think, that maybe it was the comparison of Elnora in “Limberlost” with Barbara in “Spirit of the North.” They were both fighting battles, and in a slim way, both were fighting to stay alive and succeed with nothing more than their wits and good common sense. Elnora had to survive her mother’s mental illness and the two girls, Barbara and Adele had to survive their dead uncle’s mental illness and how it affected their survival and happiness. The women had grit and spunk and determination—so much so—that nothing was going to stop them, not illness, not love, not isolation/fear/money. These are all the traits women had to have to survive around the turn of the last century. And, I think, this is why I’m so drawn to that time period.
Overall, the story was a fun read and I really enjoyed it.
My thanks to the author for this lovely copy of “The Spirit of the North” and to Review the Book.com for this opportunity to review the book.
The Only Thing That Lasts (Book) - 1/8/2013 6:52:53 AM
“A true library inside a home! To possess a library was the only reason I could think of for why anyone would want to be rich.”
Okay . . . I’m hooked! How could I not fall in love with a boy (or anyone) who loves books that much? Just getting to page 85 to see the excitement on Robert’s face as he sees all those beautifully embossed books lining the shelves in that massive library and knowing that as a solid defining moment in his life is worth the five stars to me. Life was so different around a hundred years ago, and without television, telephones, computers, gadgets--I imagine to a young boy who wanted to find adventure and the mysteries of life, books would seem to hold the magic keys to the world.
Some people have compared this story to Twain’s scallywags Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. I don’t see that here. This reminds me more of a story like Little Women with all the homespun charm of the Little House books, except from a boy’s point of view. For this, I’d like to thank Tyler Tichelaar’s brother for requesting an “old fashioned story.” (Dedication page) And, I’m a sucker for this type of tale. It is so refreshing to not have all the people being murdered, being put into jail, doing drugs, or plotting revenge tactics. This is just an easy story about a young boy’s fictional life in historic Marquette, Michigan. Robert has more than his share of hardships and emotional adjustments for a young teen during the war, (and, as a young man) yet, he always seems to find the bright spot in things even if it is only for a short period of time as is evidenced in this passage, “And so, whenever life has felt close to falling apart, I think back on that day and think of the blue and the green, the two colors that made my soul leap up in me, that made me feel like I had a deeper, inner life I was only beginning to understand.” (P. 139)
Sprinkled throughout the book were historical facts about Marquette and Mackinac Island. It was so much fun to look up these places on the Internet. I have to agree with the author that the Grand Hotel is the most impressive hotel I’ve ever seen. It looks like an amazing place as does the island itself. All this history added so much enjoyment to the story and made it really come to life.
The Only Thing That Lasts was such an enjoyable read that I’m certain I’ll be enjoying other works by Tyler R. Tichelaar.
I’d like to thank the author for this lovely copy of his book and also Review the Book.com for this opportunity to review this book.
The Queen City, The Marquette Trilogy: Book Two (Book) - 2/17/2010 8:48:26 AM
The Queen City: The Marquette Trilogy: Book Two
A book review by Beverly Pechin for Review The Book
Oddly enough, while this book is book 2 of a trilogy, I could easily see someone who hasn't even read book 1 delve without regret into book 2! While I'd highly recommend reading book 1, simply because the trilogy itself unwinds so beautifully with book 2, you can easily scoop up in the middle of this trilogy and enjoy it to it's fullest extent! So don't despair if you haven't had the chance to grab book 1, you can go back and you WILL once you read "The Queen City"!
The author, Tyler R Tichelaar, has a way of bringing characters to life that is unbelievable. My favorite parts of the book are when characters from Book 1 wind through the dabblings of the characters in Book 2, but it's not a necessity to know these characters completely and intimately before hand. The characters that come to life are amazingly realistic & deep. Watching the world unfold before your eyes, through the characters of this amazing trilogy, is simply breath taking. It's a first hand glance from a perspective we, as people living in today's modern world, would otherwise never have a chance to take and it's an amazing one!
You see how the world changes around these people, realizing how much had evolved in such a short length of time in life as you read the stories of each of the characters. You will find yourself once again cheering for those you love, crying with those who have entered your heart and becoming bitterly angry at those whom we all seem to know are simply mean and angry characters that are all too realistic to life!
There are so many little stories going on throughout the book that you simply cannot get bored with the reading! If you have never read a trilogy in your life, NOW is the time to do so. It's not only a lesson on how a well written "trilogy" unfolds, but a lesson in history, life and humanity! Honestly, you cannot find a better historical fiction to read that brings the real world to life so well! Kudos to Tyler Tichelaar for an amazing book and an amazing series!
