An enjoyable meander thru small town life. ( )

Fiona Campbell is a newcomer to tiny Ephraim, Wisconsin. Populated with artists and summer tourists, Ephraim has just enough going on to satisfy her city tastes. But she is fascinated and repelled by the furthest tip of Door County peninsula, Washington Island, utterly removed from the hubbub of modern life. Fiona's visits there leave her refreshed in spirit, but convinced that only lunatics and hermits could survive a winter in its frigid isolation. In a moment of weakness, Fiona is goaded into accepting a dare that she cannot survive the winter on the island in a decrepit, old house.Armed with some very fine single malt scotch and a copy of Meditationsby Marcus Aurelius, Fiona sets out to win the dare, and discovers that small town life is not nearly as dull as she had foreseen. Abandoning the things she has always thought important, she encounters the vicious politics of small town life, a ruthless neighbor, persistent animals, a haunted ferry captain, and the peculiar spiritual renewal of life north of the tension line." ( )

A nice, easy, contemporary Wisconsin story that was a breath of fresh air for me. Having lived in Wisconsin my whole life, it was a nice change of pace to read something about somewhere I'd been, and that wasn't all murder-y or filled with jerks. While it may not be a nail-biter in terms of needing to get back to the story to see what happens, it reminds me of more old-fashioned books I've read and loved, in that the whole point is to live life on a manageable scale and to have real human connections and challenges. It seemed very real to me in a way that a lot of other, more-hyped, books aren't.

I look forward to going to Door County again, and I'll bring this book with me. A wonderful book by one of my new must-buy authors! ( )

A sweet, easy read by debut author, J.F. Riordan and set in Door County Wisconsin and its offshore island, Washington Island. The protagonist, Fiona, has just purchased a home in this sparsely populated area. What ensues is Fiona attempting to adjust to small town life and its quirks.

There are enough secondary characters to prevent the story from becoming boring. The sub-plot of Fiona's friend Elisabeth and her unconventional courtship by Roger the coffee shop owner, allows the author to divert the focus of the story off of Fiona. This strategy allows for further development of characters in subseqent sequels.

While characters are not deeply portrayed they are enjoyable. In the novel it is sometimes implied that Fiona is a bit flighty but I never sensed that quality in her. Overall I liked her and felt her frustration in her battle against a bitter neighbor and small town gossip.

With prose that was clear and light, Ephraim, Wisconsin and Washington Island came to life. Humor was provided by Robert the 'talking' goat.

Nothing deep here and more questions are left unsanswered but a good read nonetheless. ( )

North of the Tension Line's protagonist, Fiona Campbell, makes a wager with a friend that she can live for a year in the cold and isolated community on Washington Island. As a newcomer, she is welcomed by some in small town society, tolerated by others and despised by her nearest neighbor.
The narrative moves at a leisurely pace, and there are a few truly quirky characters. Fiona's old and new friends sustain her through some trying times, not the least of which are negotiating severe weather conditions and caring for an odd pet which she has received as a gift. Most of the characters are likable, but not all are entirely believable.
North of the Tension Line falls short of the "great read" category, but is an interesting premise, and not a bad way to spend a couple of afternoons. ( )