…five compelling short stories from North of Nelson, Volume II, will captivate even the most jaded reader with frankness and audacity. Moore holds nothing back, no subject is out of bounds, no apologies are given, as he exposes stories of incest and lust, love, and hate.
In the short story Cell Tower, Milly is beset with guilt over her incestuous relationship with her mentally deranged younger brother Edward. The story ends tragically, as a deputy sheriff pursues Edward to his remote cabin in the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula where all three characters lives are entangled in a disturbing conclusion.
In the following story, Ditch Dog, the ignoble uncle of a sensitive nephew, Brian, engage in a strained explosive bond, between the pair, that ends in a heart-rending death of Ellie, Brian's loyal dog.
In Ode to a Lone Wolf, Randy, a farmer struggles with a perennial problem of wolf predation of his cattle and his love for the local female DNR officer. Like life itself there is no easy answer as he finds himself at odds with his ex-wife and behind bars.
The rest of the stories, from North of Nelson, Volume II, carry on from the previous volume and leave the reader wishing Moore would publish another set of gripping tales from the rugged Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
«North of Nelson should be read slowly, savoring the quirky characters, the poetry of the words, the odd, fierce stories. Hilton Everett Moore is far more than a regional writer. His words and stories place him in high literary circles indeed. So many of his phrases or sentences elicited a bit of envy, as in 'I wish I would have written that!' Beautifully illustrated throughout! A treat for the eyes, the mind, the imagination.»
-— Sue Harrison, author of The Midwife's Touch
“Hilton Moore writes in southern Baraga County and has done all the things right to capture narrative seriousness about the region. His themes and styles are reader-friendly and are finding acclaim. Mainly he works at storytelling about the UP and the first volume was listed as a U.P. Notable Book. Let us hope that this second volume of Nelson stories remains among the UP Notable Books. I think it has the polish and the seriousness to do just that.”
-— Donald M. Hassler, Emeritus Professor of English and contributor to UP Book Review
«Hilton Everett Moore's writings provide an intimate glimpse into the lives of North of Nelson residents. They reveal the physical and emotional struggles of living in the rugged wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In the final short story Moore's character states, 'Tonight I was witness to the undressing of a human soul…' The author beautifully and lovingly exposes an individual's conflicts in searching for meaning in their lives. As with Volume I, North of Nelson II is a great read.”
-— Jean Treacy, MA in Reading, former instructor at Western Michigan University
From Silver Mountain Press