"Dennis is always seeking a larger, transcendent view, even in seemingly mundane activities, like paddling a canoe. . . These transcendent views surface over and over again, and yet, they remain remarkably unexpected - one of the many pleasures of reading this book. No one, it seems, is more delighted than Dennis himself when nature reveals a new perspective. He accepts these moments as gifts he shares with the reader."-- "Jacqueline Justice, Inland Seas"

"Jerry Dennis, the award-winning Traverse City-based nature writer, brings more of his evocative prose to Up North in Michigan, a collection of short essays that celebrates the natural history and scenic wonder of northern lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula."-- "Edwin M. Bradley, The Michigan Historical Review"

"No contemporary writer of nonfiction portrays as much depth of knowledge about and experience with natural Michigan as Dennis does. None establishes such a sense of place. None with such eloquence. And ardor. Careful readers will harvest as many literary fruits as they do field guide-type nuggets of factual information from Up North. It's easy to get lost in the brief, welcoming essays as the writing unspools itself with grace right before your eyes."-- "Tom Carney, The Upland Almanac"

"A beautifully written collection of essays that will remind every northern Michigander why this is such a special place."-- "Ryan Deery, Director of the Charlevoix Public Library, Petoskey News-Review"

"Jerry Dennis is a Michigan treasure. . . . His recently-released Up North in Michigan: A Portrait of Place in Four Seasons, illustrated by frequent collaborator artist Glenn Wolff, gets at the timeless feel of the North Country in an era of rapid global change."-- "FLOW For Love of Water"

"Dennis is now the dean of the region's literature, taking up the mantle from writers like Jim Harrison, he grounds readers in the rhythms that ring familiar to those who spend time outdoors in the North. Author of The Windward Shore' and The Living Great Lakes, among others, he illustrates the tension between longing to know a particular piece of ground intimately over a lifetime against the urge to explore new territory."-- "Glen Young, Petoskey News-Review"

"This collection of essays celebrates and reflects upon transitions in weather, life, and seasons. It's a close-up look at a life spent exploring a particular landscape. This book reminds the reader that a familiar place can still offer novelty and surprises along with a sense of familiar consistency."-- "Emily Meier, Harbor Light Newspaper"

"The essays comprising Up North in Michigan are more than an homage to a particular region, its people, and its natural wonders. They are a reflection on the Up North that can only be experienced through your feet and fingertips, through your ears, mouth, and nose -- the Up North that makes its way into your bones as surely as sand makes its way into wood grain."-- "Midwest Book Review"