Northern Reflections

Jerry Harju's first book, now in its sixth printing, has become an endearing favorite among readers of all ages. Northern Reflections is a collection of humorous and reminiscent short stories spanning the 1940's as the author was growing up. But these stories aren't just about Jerry Harju; they're about people in small Upper Michigan communities. Every town has its local characters, and these characters are skillfully brought to life in Northern Reflections. Included are "Appleknockers" who head north into the U.P. every hunting season. The stories bring back memories of flattening nails on the railroad tracks, setting pins by hand in the bowling alley, and getting his very first car (in Harju's case, a Model A Ford). Jerry still claims that the funniest story he ever wrote is in Northern Reflections. "The Kloman Inferno" describes the frantic attempts to get an ancient fire truck started in sub-zero weather to put out a chimney fire at the Harju house.