Please pass on to your patrons if you think there is interest in
this unique island just off the coast of Munising, Michigan.
There is never any fees to participate in the book club and it is
open to everyone in Michigan.
UP
Notable Book Club presents a Q&A session about A Face in
the Rock: The Tale of a Grand Island Chippewa by Loren R.
Graham
UP Notable Book Club:
The Crystal Falls Community District Library in partnership with the
U.P. Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) has scheduled
author events with winners of the UP Notable Book List.
The 52nd event features special guest Patricia Graham,
whose husband Loren R. Graham wrote A
Face in the Rock: The Tale of a Grand Island Chippewa.
First published in 1995, the book is the culmination of
distinguished historian Loren R. Graham's more than 40 years of
researching and reconstructing the poignant tale of Powers of the
Air, a Chippewa indian, and his people. A Face in the Rock is
an artful melding of human history and natural history; it is a
fascinating narrative of the intimate relation between place and
people.
When: Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 7 pm
Eastern / 6 pm Central
Where: on the Zoom platform -- please
contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org,
or by phone at (906) 875-3344. We recommend you borrow a copy of
these books from your local library or purchase them from your local
bookseller in advance to get the most out of these events.
LOREN R. GRAHAM was a distinguished
American historian of science whose research illuminated the
intricate relationships among science, technology, philosophy, and
society—particularly within Russia and the Soviet Union. As a
professor emeritus at both MIT and Harvard University, he was
widely admired for his deep understanding of how cultural and
political contexts shaped scientific ideas and institutions. Over
his long and influential career, Graham authored numerous
acclaimed books, including Science
in Russia and the Soviet Union, Lysenko’s Ghost, and Lonely Ideas, each exploring the ethical
and social dimensions of scientific progress. His work bridged
disciplines and continents, earning him international recognition
as one of the foremost scholars of the history of science and the
moral responsibilities of scientific inquiry.
Eight miles long and four miles wide,
Grand Island lies off the south shore of Lake Superior. It was once
home to a sizable community of Chippewa Indians who lived in harmony
with the land and with each other. Their tragic demise began early
in the nineteenth century when their fellow tribesmen from the
mainland goaded them into waging war against rival Sioux. The war
party was decimated; only one young brave, Powers of the Air, lived
to tell the story that celebrated the heroism of his band and formed
the basis of the legend that survives today.
Powers of the Air lived to witness the desecration of Grand Island
by the fur and logging industries, the Christianization of the
tribe, and the near total loss of the Chippewa language, history,
and culture. Graham charts the plight of the Chippewa as white
culture steadily encroaches, forcing the native people off the
island and dispersing their community on the mainland. The story
ends with happier events of the past two decades, including the
protection of Grand Island within the National Forest system, and
the resurgence of Chippewa culture.
More
information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book
Review, and UPPAA can be found on www.UPNotable.com
About the Upper Peninsula Publishers and
Authors Association (UPPAA)