Life in the northwest wilderness of Michigan during the lumberjack era makes an exciting and engaging story and who better to tell it than someone who actually lived there during this time. Mason Ray was a citizen in Leelanau County, Michigan from 1880 until 1922. She knew stalwart lumberjacks, the people that owned and ran the lumber mills, their neighbors, and the other strong-hearted citizens of the area and she describes them in her novel in vivid details. Her story follows the life of a man named Forrest Mann as he becomes part of the community and includes danger, deceit, intrigue, romance and love. The characters are believable and become like friends as the story unfolds. The local landmarks are real - the town (Agache is Glen Arbor on the shores of Lake Michigan); Muskrat Lake (is Glen Lake); the narrows bridge and the sand dunes. The language and terms are of that period (with a few tweaks).
