The inspiration for each installment of our Literary Tourism series comes from many places. Today’s Michigan-set list was inspired by What Should I Read Next Ep 390: Audiobooks for the longest flight of your life. Nadia Sussman was about to move from New Zealand to Ann Arbor and was looking for recommendations set in her new home. We received STACKS of great suggestions from so many enthusiastic Midwestern readers!
We’ve gathered up the books discussed in that episode, some of the recommendations you all so enthusiastically left in the comments of the show notes, and sprinkled in a few more of our favorites. There are PLENTY great books set in Michigan—there’s no way to include them all here and that isn’t our goal. That’s where you come in: we’d love to hear your recommendations for books with Michigan settings in the comments section!
Whether these Michigan-set reads bring back memories of previous visits to the state or you hope to travel there someday, I hope this list will make you excited about your next trip or provide an accessible and affordable means of escape via armchair travel.
Literary Tourism: Michigan
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In Our Time
Station Eleven
Early Morning Riser
Middlesex
The Women of the Copper Country
Joy in the Morning
Anatomy of a Murder
This Won’t End Well
Beach Read
Firekeeper’s Daughter
What the Fireflies Knew
Tom Lake
Song of Solomon
The Red Parts: Autobiography of a Trial
Ursula, Under
Which books set in Michigan have you read and loved? Please tell us all about them in the comments section!
P.S. 23 recommended reads for those traveling to Chicago, 12 recommended reads for those traveling to Maine (or who want to), and more literary tourism.
47 comments
Any of Erin Bartel’s books!
I agree!
I’ve never heard of this author but her book covers are gorgeous! Where do you recommend starting with her work?
Love this list! I’ve got some reading today. Since my husband grew up in Michigan, I grew up in Wisconsin and we live in Minnesota, Kitchens of the Great Midwest comes to mind (though only a teensy part takes place in Michigan) and hold a huge place in my heart.
Just recently read Beach Read and I cannot forget those airport scenes in Station Eleven!
But the one I’d like to add takes place in the cherry and apple orchards of the Traverse City area (Northern Lower Peninsula) – The Recipe Box.
I LOVE The Recipe Box by Viola Shipman. It’s a great story for autumn
Anything by Viola Shipman is delightful!
Once Upon A River by Bonnie Jo Campbell
I love “Unending Devotion” by Jody Hedlund. Set in the lumber camps of Michigan in 1883 and centered around rescuing women out of the sex trade/brothels.
Great list. A Michigan author much loved is Bonnie Campbell. Her newest book is THE WATERS.
Steve Hamilton is a popular mystery writer.
One of my favorite books is ORDINARY PEOPLE by a Michigan author Judith Guest.
Not a Michigander but I loved Bad Things Happen, a cozy(ish) literary mystery set in Ann Arbor.
Viola Shipman’s new book THE WISHING BRIDGE is set in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
I listened to Tom Lake while driving from Michigan home to Virginia this summer—was perfect! How’d you know I was in need of another (audio)book for my drive back up to MI Christmas Eve? ☺️😉 Love the list!
Greetings from Grand Rapids! I love when I stumble on a book set in Michigan! Add to your list: The Recipe Box and The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post. Enjoy your time in the Mitten State!
Fun fact about me, my family has a place on Walloon Lake which is where Hemingway stayed when in Michigan. His niece still owns the cabin. My dad lives up there year round and I usually go in the summer for a week. My fave bookstore, McLean & Eakin, is up there! I love Michigan!
All of the Viola Shipman books take place all or in part in Michigan.
The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season – Molly Fader
Tin Camp Road – Ellen Airgood
The August Snow Series – Stephen Mack Jones
The Ray Elkins Mystery Series – Aaron Stander
Erin Bartels has several set in Michigan and won a Michigan Notable Book Award–for armchair travel I’d recommend either All That We Carried (hiking in the Upper Peninsula) or The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water (summer lake life with a darker undercurrent).
Welcome to Michigan Nadia! Ann Arbor has one of my favorite bookstores, Literati and one of my favorite restaurants, Zingerman’s.
Love Literati so much 💛 My parents recently moved to back to AA, giving me excuse to stop in a couple times a year!
Reading this post I didn’t realize I had read so many books that were set in Michigan, two more I liked were, Bird Box and Mrs. Everything.
Anna Pigeon’s book Winter Study is set on Isle Royale which is in Lake Superior off the coast of Michigan.
Actually, Anna Pigeon is the name of the park ranger in this series. The author’s name is Nevada Barr. Just FYI for anyone who does a search for the books!
Love this list, thank you from Grand Rapids!
I just listened to Firekeeper’s Daughter on audiobook. Highly recommend!
I would add Viola Shipman s Famous in a Small Town!
Set in Northern Michigan. This author loves this town. Fun and uplifting!
Please don’t forget Somewhere In Time, set on Mackinac Island!!
I didn’t realize that the movie Somewhere in Time was based on the book, “Bid Time Return” by Richard Matheson, and Matheson wrote the screenplay for the movie. Somewhere in Time was the first story that came to MY mind when I thought of Michigan!
I really enjoyed reading The Turner House, which was set in Detroit, where I was born.
Two Michigan based books that our book club has done are by Sarah Stonich – “These Granite Islands” and “Vacationland” – brought to us by a person who vacations on the UP every summer. The club members loved them both. Until I looked up the author, I didn’t realize that “Vacationland” is part of a trilogy. I plan on finding the other two and doing them as well.
I’m reading Dearborn by Ghassan Zeineddine right now, which is a perfect addition to this Michigan reading list. 🙂
I recommend “Winter Study” by Nevada Barr. It’s a page-turner mystery about wolves that takes place in winter on the very isolated and rustic Isle Royale in Lake Superior. I read it years ago and still think about it sometimes.
I grew up in Grand Rapids and am always happy to read books set in Michigan! Here are a couple more:
“Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder” by Valerie Burns – this is the first in a cozy series set in a town that seems to be based on South Haven.
Karen Dionne’s “The Marsh King’s Daughter” is set in the UP.
The Rock Harbor series by Colleen Coble are set in the Upper Peninsula.
Life long Michigander here….thank you for highlighting our wonderful state! One of my most favorite books is The Loon Feather by Iola Fuller. About the fictional daughter of Chief Tecumseh, it primarily takes place on Mackinac Island and explores the Native and French history of our state.
Love this list! The Firekeeper’s Daughter and Tom Lake are books that give you a true sense of the Michigan atmosphere. I found a signed Viola Shipman that started my search for Michigan books. I had forgotten that Station Eleven was set on Lake Michigan, so will have to go back and do a re-read possibly! Thank you for this list. I am following for more recommendations!
The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post! She lived an EPIC life.
I can’t say enough good things about this one.
First woman to sit on the board of her own company.
First woman to become a millionaire under 30.
Philanthropist
Ensured her property in NY, Hillwood in DC and Mar-a-Largo in FL would be given to US the American people to preserve and enjoy for generations.
The heir of C.W. Post, who changed the way we as Americans eat breakfast.
I could not put this down as a lover of history.
Believe it all started right there in Battle Creek, MI.
Excellent book on a fascinating woman!
I don’t know if these fit the category, but I binge-read Lillian Jackson Braun’s “The Cat Who…” series some years ago and loved the description of the environs “400 miles north of everywhere.” I found them fun, cozy mysteries that I was lucky enough to check out of my library one after the other.
The Marsh King’s Daughter!!
I really enjoy the Woods Cop mystery series by Joseph Heywood which is set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The first book is Ice Hunter.
The Dollmaker by Harriet Simpson Arnow is one of my favorite books and set in Detroit.
Another Michigander here. I don’t see these two listed yet: Jennifer Weiner’s Mrs Everything and Curtis Chen’s memoir Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.
In the vein of children’s books The Legend of … series is lovely (Mackinac Island and Sleeping Bear are the most Michigan specific ones). Also loved Traders in Time by Janie Lynn Panagopoulos.
A new YA novel by Michigan author and set in Michigan is “the star that always stays” by Anna Rose Johnson. She’s also Native American and weaves the thread of her tradition into her storytelling.
Up North in Michigan by Jerry Dennis is a wonderful short story collection divided by seasons.
The Time Traveler’s Wife!
Since this list is out just before Christmas I can’t help but think of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. He’s from Grand Rapids, MI. The real Polar Express train is in Owosso, MI.