Maple Ridge Memories: Short Stories About Growing Up on a Small Farm in a Michigan Upper Peninsula Finnish Community By: Alan Niemela This book portrays the coming of age of a young boy on a small farm in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Featuring colorful characters from the author's rural Finnish community, this book recounts the fascinating, moving, and humorous tales of his boyhood. Author Alan Niemela knows that a story not told will be lost. So, he was inspired to write this book as a legacy for his grandchildren, though has something to offer any reader. About the Author Alan Niemela was raised on a small farm along the West Maple Ridge road near Rock, Michigan. Rock is a small, rural, Finnish town located in the central part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Alan was a 1963 graduate of Rock High School. He attended Northern Michigan University and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science degree. Upon graduation he moved to L'Anse, Michigan to begin his thirty-year career of teaching chemistry, biology, and environmental science at the L'Anse Area Schools. Alan and his wife Mary currently live in L'Anse. Alan still enjoys many of the interests of his youth, such as hunting, fishing, trapping, woodworking and gardening.