Lawren Farber

Portage: Crime and Passion in the Heart of Akron Lawren Farber

Do certain places on the map have special energy? Are we somehow attracted to them? Akron, Ohio's Portage Path is Northeast Ohio's geographic watershed. Rain that drops north, slopes north to Lake Erie and into the Atlantic. Rain that drops south reaches the rivers flowing into the Ohio, the Mississippi and on into the Gulf. Throughout pre-history, Indian tribes portaged their canoes along this eight mile strip of land. Back and forth, north or south -- Fate, the seasons, the fauna and warring tribes of the moment dictated which edge of the path to follow. Simple "accidents" of time and season held consequences of monumental proportions. For readers of Lawren Farber's Portage, there's an eerie feeling about this place, the Portage Path. Portage presents these violent "watershed" confrontations -- among tribes, between Indians and settlers and among citizen factions against other factions along the Portage Path in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Did pre-historic rituals caste some spell over these eight miles? Dr. Reingold, history sleuth, serialized stories of the tribes living along Lake Erie's southern shores. All Akron reads them. Suzannah Frizelle meets Mayer along the Portage Path and is pulled from her readings into his drug deal -- one that actually took place there in 1972. The drug deal goes bad. A shoot-out takes place between the dealers and police all along the Portage Path. Portage mixes reckless love, guns and history into a fast-paced, exciting read. Do places have some special energy that leads to violence? This time, in 1972, new fates become swept up in Portage Path's spell and are sealed again.