{"product_id":"north-of-the-tension-line-1-9780825308291","title":"North of the Tension Line 1","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFiona 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 Meditations by 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 re\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the qualities necessary for a successful novelist is the ability to deftly craft an engaging story populated by memorable characters and unexpected twists and turns to an ultimately satisfying conclusion. In \"North of the Tension Line\", author J.F. Rioradn amply demonstrates just such a talent. Fully engaging from beginning to end, \"North of the Tension Line\" is a terrific read and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. -- Margaret Lane -- The Midwest Book Review\u003cbr\u003eRiordan tells a story simply and with straightforward charm. In these pages the reader encounters people living their lives as Americans do-bumping into each other at the store, tending to their animals, going to church suppers, worrying about invisible rodents in the ceiling and scary noises in the woods, yearning for love in the subtle ways we do. It is life lived as it should be. Riordan is also a great observer of human nature: Her characters are real people, totally human, totally believable. As I read her first book, I felt as if I knew Roger, the unapproachable coffee shop owner, Stella, the neighbor from hell, and other familiar characters. There is a special pleasure in meeting them again in a second book-like a reunion with old friends. Seeing their stories continue and their characters unfold makes for extraordinarily satisfying reading. Pali, the ferry captain, is developed in astonishing depth inGoats. Part of what makes Riordan's work so enjoyable is what it lacks: In her pages you will not find angst-ridden self-examination, emotional fulminations and ventilations, boring and predictable fleshy passions and their consequences. There is no breathtaking drama, life-threatening horror, or clash of ideologies. -- The Human Life Review\u003cbr\u003e2015 Gold IPPY Award in Great Lakes-Best Regional Fiction - - Independent Publisher Book Awards","brand":"Beaufort Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49528076403031,"sku":"9780825308291","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780825308291.jpg?v=1731870314","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/north-of-the-tension-line-1-9780825308291","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}