Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty

This is an orgin story of Cleveland told in a manner that is reminiscent of Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed with the wit of Mark Twain. Big Son is larger than life figure who clearly overshadows his younger brother, Medium Son (Meed). Meed is a coffin maker and is there to chronicle his brother's many tales but he clearly wants to make more of an impact on the world. The dialect takes a bit of getting used to and there were some very funny stories but I wasn't able to follow the thread of the book easily. If you are looking for a slice of Americana, this slim debut will deliver.  3 1/2 stars