Thank you to Riverhead Books and Netgalley for providing me with a gifted physical copy and DRC of this book.

Laurel is a struggling single mother living in Michigan with her teenaged daughter, Skye. Plagued by food insecurity, homeless, and a number of other struggles, Laurel always tries to do what's best for the both of them, even if it doesn't always work out in their favor.

I really wanted to like this book, but I have a lot of mixed feelings. Though Laurel and Skye's struggles are compelling, and Skye's character is endearing, it was very hard to root for Laurel and to get behind both of their characters. I don't know if it's because I had trouble forming a connection or if the characters just weren't gifted with enough depth to make them feel three dimensional.

The plot is wandering and lacking cohesiveness. Rather than a clear conflict/rising action, I feel like there's a middling level of unease or insecurity present throughout the plot that doesn't really go anywhere. Tertiary characters flit into and out of the frame without any real defining features or characteristics, such that it's almost not even worth paying attention to or trying to figure out how they fit in.

Airgood's writing itself was good, but I felt somewhat like I was reading a draft. I would have loved more exploration into who Skye's father is, instead of some weird one-liner at the book's conclusion.

This wasn't for me, but perhaps could be enjoyed by someone looking for a feel good about the relationship between mothers and daughters.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for Goodreads

I was so frustrated by Laurel throughout the whole book. I also did not like how POOF happy wrap up in the last 10 pages of the book. I would like to read more about Skye though.

Airgood presents a hard and heartwarming story of a single mother and her 10 year old daughter trying to fight through rural poverty in the tourist communities along Lake Superior in Michigan. Laurel Hill doesn’t have extravagant dreams for herself or her daughter, she just wants them to be able to stay in their beloved community and have each other. But an unearned eviction starts them down a scary rocky road.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and NetGalley for providing me a gifted copy of Tin Camp Road!

Laurel Hill lives in a remote town on Lake Superior with her daughter, Skye. Though told in relatively modern times, Laurel and Skye often live life "pioneer-esque," just doing what they can to get by. One day, seemingly out of nowhere, their landlord announces he will be turning their home into a vacation rental, and despite her best efforts Laurel can't find anywhere to go.

One fateful evening, Laurel and Skye's life is upended and everything may come crashing down. What Laurel does next will make or break them.

Based on the synopsis I thought Tin Camp Road may have the potential to be a very emotionally draining, heavy read. While the subject matter is rather depressing at times, Ellen Airgood writes so beautifully all I could feel throughout the entire book was hope. I think every parent in the world says they'd do anything for their kids, but Laurel truly encompasses what that means.

Skye is such a force to be reckoned with I truly hope we get another novel continuing the Hills' story. Especially with that humdinger of an ending!

Thank you @riverheadbooks books for this #gifted copy of 𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃 by Ellen Airgood. I was so excited when this beautiful book arrived in the mail just as I was finishing its e-galley! 𝘛𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘙𝘰𝘢𝘥 seems like one of those books flying under too many people’s radar and I think that needs to change. ⁣
⁣
This is a story of homelessness and living on the margins of society. It’s also a story of stubbornness, fear, determination, and hope. At its heart are Laurel and Skye. Laurel is a young mother struggling to get by and provide a good life for her talented daughter. Living in a small town on the Upper Michigan Peninsula, Laurel is just barely able to eke out a living by doing a variety of odd jobs. When her landlord decides to turn her tiny home into a vacation rental, Laurel and Skye are left homeless. What follows is perhaps a picture of homelessness that we don’t always consider. A kind of hidden homelessness and the fight to keep it a secret. At times, I found Laurel’s choices a bit frustrating, but the story overall really drew me in. I most appreciated that 𝘛𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘙𝘰𝘢𝘥 shone a light on the struggles of homeless families and homeless students. I’ve had many in my career as a teacher, and was reminded that just as with Laurel and Skye, there is always much more to their stories than what you might see. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tin Camp Road by Ellen Airgood is a very highly recommended literary domestic drama. This excellent, engaging, and genuine novel will hold your attention and heart from start to finish.

Laurel Hill and her intelligent, exuberant ten-year old daughter Skye have always been a team and managed to have a rich life even while living in poverty. The Hills have lived in the small town of Gallion on Lake Superior for four generations, so Laurel is determined to raise her daughter there while working several odd jobs. Her wandering mother lost the family home so Laurel and Skye are now living in a dilapidated rental house where the water and heat are frequently off and not fixed by their landlord. After losing their babysitter, Laurel now needs to leave Skye alone while she works. When their landlord tells them they have to be out in December because he wants to fix the house up as a short term rental for tourists, Laurel tries to find another option but can't. She ends up moving them out to the woods into an old trailer in the woods and Skye has to switch to a new school district.

Laurel fiercely loves Skye. She keeps an optimistic attitude and approach to parenting her daughter even while she realizes all the things she can't do. Her life is devoted to taking care of her daughter and she is determined to do it all herself. While I understand her tenacity and reticence, it is heartbreaking when Laurel doesn't ask for help from the people around her - people who care and would help. Heartbreaking events that follow their move out to the trailer result in some profound character growth and development. Laurel faces some facts, makes some hard choices, and learns a few important lessons along the way. Both Laurel and Skye are wonderful characters, as is the whole cast of supporting characters, the town of Gallion, and the area itself.

Tin Camp Road is a beautifully written and a realistic, genuine novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate literary fiction. Once I started reading this novel I was immersed in the plot and lost all track of time. The plot moves forward at an even pace until a shocking event that changes Laurel's outlook at life and makes her reexamine everything she believed was the best course of action. This is a realistic novel and the people, struggles, and weather are all described and depicted exactly as would be expected. The contrast between wealthy residents and their cluelessness of the poverty Laurel is experiencing is authentic. Laurel's determination to work any job and not feel sorry for herself is truly an admirable trait, which makes her growth in understanding that asking for help when you truly need it is not giving up an even stronger event. This would be an excellent choice for a book club.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

TIN CAMP ROAD is the latest novel from Ellen Airgood whose work South of Superior I had really enjoyed. Her latest is also set in the small towns and rural area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula - and centers on a single mom, Lauren, and her 10 year-old daughter, Skye. Sadly, I did not find Lauren to be a very sympathetic character. Despite her good intentions and best efforts, she was endangering her child with no access at times, for example, to electricity or even to running water. I also felt that the pace of this book was rather slow (Kirkus more generously termed it a "leisurely read"). In contrast, Publishers Weekly gave TIN CAMP ROAD a starred review so you might enjoy it if you are looking for a mother-daughter story set in a beautiful place.

I sure liked how this book was written, I don’t know what this type of writing is called but it pulled you right in , let you really know the characters and their deepest feelings even the surrounding landscape and habitat were so real. I felt such empathy for Laurel and her daughter Skye it keep me turning the pages feeling all the emotions and then at the end I got that satisfaction of that YES moment. I loved the read hope you don’t miss it

What an interesting story! It's set in the remote wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan -- that's what drew my interest.

Laurel Hill and her daughter, Skye, are trying to stay afloat and believe something better is always right around the corner. It's a great story about perseverance and a mother's love. After their landlord decides to turn their house into a summer rental, they're forced to move and that leads them on new adventures. It's a different type of life in the UP and I think this book did a great job portraying the hardships - the harsh winter, the lack of jobs after the summer season, the small town living. But it also shows the strength of the townsfolk and how they try to help each other and the beauty of the wilderness.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I kept hearing of this upcoming novel, description had me curious
Set in the Upper Peninsula (Michigan),

Right away I was sucked into the book
I enjoyed story.

A heartwarming story about a single mother and her daughter who have little to live on but make the most of their lives an adventure in a small town.

I was not fond of this book. The premise of the story is a mother and daughter’s love for each other, and what a mother will do for her daughter; however, to me it seemed disjointed. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I throughly enjoyed this novel, the relationship, between mother and daughter, the plot, and the writing.

Loved it! Loved the characters, the plot, the setting, and how real this story seemed. This mother and daughter have the best relationship despite all the awful financial challenges they face. If you need a feel good novel, pick this one.