Tyler R. Tichelaar

Tyler Tichelaar’s has written his second reference book on gothic literature. In Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides, Tyler not only shares the British gothic but also the French gothic. Tyler also includes Bram Stoker’s Dracula literary ancestors.
Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides brings authors, along with authors once popular, now mostly forgotten, to the reader their most gothic and vampire novels. French authors, Paul Feval’s Vampire novels, Marie Nizet’s recently discovered ‘Captain Vampire’ might find a new audience.
If you are expert or a novice this is one book that should be on your shelf.… (mais)

Exemplary. Tyler Tichelaar has truly done a very good thing here, furthering the understanding of the complex relationship between the settler populations and indigenous native american communities on the south shore of Lake Superior in the 19th century.

Charlie Kawbawgam is probably the best known indigenous figure of the 19th century central upper peninsula to be still remembered into the 21st century, and his story and stories are illustrative of many broad historical themes which are carefully elucidated in this biography. Wisely, the author writes about the entire complex social network which surrounded him, both settler and native, both family and non-family.

Importantly, Tichelaar boldly attempts to untangle myth, narrative, story-telling, and memory. No doubt his considerable experience as a novelist helps him greatly in portraying the human, all-too-human fractures and fissures of remembrance. Portions of this book could and should be used in college classes as successful examples of the use of historical methodology.

The author is also notably generous in his inclusion of maps, family trees, photographs, acknowledgements, and full "scholarly apparatus" including endnotes and bibliography. I wish all academic and commercial publishers of 2021 were so comprehensive in their treatment of histories.… (mais)

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.… (mais)

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.… (mais)