Detroit is not just the largest city in the Mitten, it is also the city that has captured my imagination and loomed in my consciousness all growing up. And this morning, I found out that one of my fellow profs has just published a book about it:
Here's an excerpt from the press release:
"Detroitland contains the stories behind familiar names like Frank Murphy, the infamous Purple Gang, the Lone Ranger, “Potato Patch” Pingree, and Charles Lindbergh. Yet Bak also reveals lesser-known episodes in Detroit’s history, like the ambitious International Exposition & Fair of 1889; the killer heat wave of 1936, with five straight days of hundred-degree temperatures; and the attempted around-the-world flight of Ed Schlee and Billy Brock in the Pride of Detroit in 1927."
Sounds fun, huh? I can't wait to read it!
But, one of my favorite books about Detroit has to be Middlesex:
More than a novel, Jeffrey Eugenides' epic coming-of-age tale is so complex, you want to savor it as you read like you savor a bit of delicious, savory food in your mouth. It covers a lot of fascinating history of Detroit in the midst of it's braided tale of three generations in a family of immigrants. Highly engaging, highly worth the read.
What about you? Do you have a favorite book (or two or three?) that is set in your hometown?
