U.P. Notable Book Club – Deborah K. Frontiera and Living in Sisu
UP Notable Book Club: The Crystal Falls Community District Library in partnership with the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association (UPPAA) has scheduled author events with winners of the UP Notable Book List. The 58th event is with Deborah K. O. Frontiera (Calumet, MI), a prodigious poet and author of fiction and non-fiction for Middle Grade readers (grades 4 to 6+). Living on Sisu: The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy was honored with the 2013 Purple Dragonfly Award from StoryMonsters. In 2026, it was honored as a U.P. Notable Classic owing to the power of this perennially relevant storytelling. In today’s world, where our country is riven into opposing factions, many valuable lessons can be learned from Frontiera’s fair and balanced treatment of history. Not just for middle graders, the novel contains life lessons that everyone in the family can grasp.
When: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 7 pm Eastern / 6 pm Central
Where: on the Zoom platform — please contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org, or by phone at (906) 875-3344. We recommend you borrow a copy of these books from your local library or purchase from your local bookseller in advance to get the most out of these events.
DEBORAH K.O. FRONTIERA grew up in Lake Linden along with some friends whose fathers worked in the Calumet & Hecla stamp mill, others whose Finnish parents and grandparents farmed the Traprock Valley, and a father and grandfather who were in business and mining engineering. She, like her character Emma, found it difficult to sort out the multiple sides of the 1913 union strike.
She taught in Houston public schools from 1985 until 2008 and then taught creative writing part-time for Houston’s WITS (Writers In The Schools) program. Upon retirement from teaching, she and her husband moved back to her beloved U.P., but they head south during part of the winter to be with their daughters and grandchildren.
She has written for children, young adults and adults, fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Visit her website for more information: www.authorsden.com/deborahkfrontiera
“Deborah K. Frontiera’s Living on Sisu: The 1913 Union Copper Strike Tragedy offers a candid view of a violent strike against the mining companies in Houghton and Keweenaw counties. Twelve-year-old Emma Niemi narrated the story about her family’s participation in the strike and what else happened during that fateful year of 1913 in Calumet. Other characters in the book include MacNaughton, general manager of the mines, and Big Annie, one of the leaders of the strike.
The story takes place predominantly in Calumet, a community in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The term in the title “sisu” is a Finnish term meaning stoic determination, bravery, and persistence of purpose. It also means inner strength, action-oriented, and cultural identity for the Finnish people. When Emma’s family was going to face a loss of income as a result of the strike, everyone in her family worked together to take care of their needs. The year 1913 was a tumultuous time in Calumet; many lives were lost, and many people’s lives were in danger. Some of the main themes in this book were determination and violence. Emma’s parents, along with others such as Big Annie, marched daily to support the strike. Emma was determined to help her family financially.”
Read the rest of Sharon Brunner’s review at U.P. Book Review
More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review, and UPPAA can be found on www.UPNotable.com