IR VERDICT:
ELIZA JANE recounts several pivotal years in the life of a diligent young woman in her late teens in during the time of the Great Michigan Fire of 1881, providing an absorbing view of the land, the lives and the rural hardships of the Ludlows, a large Irish family that moved from Western New York to “the tip of Michigan’s thumb”. Author Lila Osborn Mechling brings these characters and their circumstances, travels, heartbreaks and revelations to life, with grit and relatable humanity. Her ear for natural dialogue and her story’s natural pacing make this a pleasure to read.