MWSA Review

Lydia Cockrum and Alvin Price grow their love with a backdrop of life along Lake Michigan in the 1870s. Paramount at this time near Portage Lake was the increasing animosity between the local farmers and an active sawmill. Based on real history, the story focuses on farmers who were losing arable land to Portage Lake as the local sawmill management dammed the lake to have enough water along an out-flowing creek to run their muley saw.

Fed up with the loss of their land, and armed with a legal document and the support of a judge, the story finds Alvin Price, his father Ben, and his near-brother Jeb Washington reluctantly deciding to solve the problem. The mill owner continually refuses to follow the injunction that requires him to desist from damming the lake. Although both Alvin and Jeb are wounded Civil War veterans, they embrace a project that is both physically and politically grueling. With a band of farmers, some of whom made extra money at the mill, they decide to take matters into their own hands to lower the water level at Portage Lake so their farms won’t flood.

As Alvin’s and Lydia’s romance progresses, they must deal with fathers who are on opposite sides of the issue. Reilly Cockrum, Lydia’s father, is a railroad builder and relies on the wood from the mill. Ben Price, Alvin’s father, is a farmer and insists on full use of his land.

How the farmers resolve this issue changed the shoreline of Lake Michigan in the area of Portage Lake and Manistee. But Alvin must make peace with Mr. Cockrum and seizes the opportunity to do so after a tragedy occurs in the town of Manistee, where the Cockrums live.

Author John Wemlinger does an excellent job of weaving the love story into the colorful history of this area and era of Michigan. The Cut relates an enlightening and interesting story. The characters are well-drawn, and his writing flows smoothly.

The author provides helpful annotated photographs, illustrations, and maps that give the reader a true sense of “the cut” and provides images that help the reader understand what a sawmill of that time looked like, and what homes and farms looked like.

For a noteworthy, fact-based historical glimpse of an interesting and unique issue in the 1870s upper Midwest, The Cut makes an excellent and satisfying read that addresses industry, farming, prejudice, women’s growing acceptance as college students, and enduring love. And if you are a dog-lover, Alvin's dog Kip will steal your heart.

Review by Patricia Walkow (June 2023)

Author's Synopsis

The Cut is a 19th-century David and Goliath story set in northwestern Michigan, where the powerful lumber industry is trampling on the rights of local farmers trying to eke out a living on their 80-acre homesteads.  in the aftermath of the Civil War, The Cut follows the plight of the local farmers through the eyes of their reluctant leader as he fights for his family, friends, and love.  It is a beautiful story of Michiganders' perseverance woven into Michigan's history

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction

Number of Pages: 250

Word Count: 75K