kerickertful's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nikkicik's review against another edition
3.0
This work of historical fiction does an incredible job of portraying the love and loss of the Ojibwe community throughout the 20th century – explicitly and implicitly – at the hands of the US Government. Through the narrative of 3 women, their descendants, families, and love interests, we see different paths of education, career aspiration, and coming of age into adulthood all leading back to the same place – the fictional Mozhay Point reservation. LeGarde Grover did an incredible job of incorporating the nuances of Native American living in the 70s – with references to the Vietnam War, drug use, and the federal termination policy – and emphasized the heterogenous experiences of being a part of the Ojibwe tribe. The poetic prose and use of description, as well as the diversity of experiences amongst the characters made this book a well-worth read, and the last passage hit hard with the emotional impact. Would read again.
kakine's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
black_girl_reading's review
5.0
This book, much like the other, is bittersweet, but I would say a bit sweeter than the author’s forthcoming In the Night of Memory. It spans decades and characters on and around a fictional Ojibwe rez, and despite being a shorter read, it does it well. We mostly get to know a few generations of women tied together by friendship, and secrets, and the realities of living in a place where everyone knows your business. People are flawed but human and loveable. It’s an achievement to see so much respect given to the imperfect and struggling. It also calls out land theft and the 60’s scoop (idk what you folks call the theft on indigenous babies in the states - but that’s how we know it up north), and the terrible ways that Indigenous women are seen as without value and treated so brutally away from home and community. It also touches on the intergenerational nature of trauma. It’s a skillfully written story. Is the story too sweet for my cynical tastes? I think not. Life is a beautiful thing despite all the structural oppression bullshit, and this book let us have the truth and the beauty. Check it out.
m_berthelsen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stelepami's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Death, Animal death, Rape, Grief, Colonisation, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Terminal illness, and Forced institutionalization
marenjo's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
mpivawer's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
libmeh's review
5.0
In The Road Back to Sweetgrass, Linda LeGarde Grover portrays the interconnected lives of three Ojibwe women and their families from the fictional Minnesota reservation Mozhay Point. Grover conveys a deep sense of place and identity via gorgeous prose and in intimate detail in this short novel, her first. Make this the next reading for your book club.