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cclopton's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
nocturnalrainbow's review against another edition
5.0
This book is breathtaking, it is a love letter to the power of books and an inspiring reflection on Minneapolis in a time of transformation and trauma. This is a must-read!
yours_marinia_monarch's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
zbmorgan's review against another edition
5.0
A clear example of why Erdrich is on the short list of Americans who could win the Nobel, this look at 2020 through the eyes of a Native American bookseller with a complicated past who's being haunted by a former customer is all about forgiveness and redemption. This takes place in Minneapolis and delves deep into Covid and the murder of George Floyd, but has a forgiving and hopeful outlook that is sometimes lacking in modern literature. A book for true book lovers living in THIS world.
godofwar's review against another edition
3.0
mixed feelings about this. i found erdrich's writing engaging from the first page; it's unique and colorful in a style that really works for me, and i'm always looking for more indigenous books to read, so i was excited. the introduction is fantastic. tookie's character is prominent and unrelenting from the jump, the portrait of indigenous life as seen through her eyes is vibrant and rich, and i love a good ghost story, even in a softer form. up until the second act, when covid becomes a key plot point, i'd really thought this would've been a 4, if not 5, star book. but things get a little uncomfortable after that.
i'm not opposed to including current events in fiction. i'm not exhausted or uncomfortable by covid in film/tv/books, if it feels the approach is adequate enough. sometimes it's unavoidable. and it does have a lot to offer the narrative here, with the sense of isolation furthering the effects the haunting has already had on tookie, but the other events that coincided along with the early lockdowns are just mishandled to a degree, to me. the author does not shy away from including black lives matter/the murder of george floyd, and of course the former is something that we need to constantly discuss - and i think the reactions from the characters as they relate BLM and police brutality to their own experiences, since indigenous people have, of course, been targets since the beginning of this 'country' - there's a point where the real, actual death of a Real person feels just a little exploited. the main character's husband is ex-tribal police and he has some dialogue where he tries to defend police as a whole, where he says he hopes he would've stopped it had he been present at the murder, and to his credit, he does reminiscence later on about the inherent brutality that comes with the uniform but it just feels slightly tone-deaf to include, especially when there's other passages about these fictional characters being prominent in protests for floyd, and this particularly egrigious line on page 235:
the context is the "violence" of the protests, how looting always occurs in the aftermath - but there's just something about this line that put a bad taste in my mouth that stuck with me throughout the rest of the story and made it difficult to really enjoy what i'd read thus far. this is clearly a book written with a lot of emotion, a book written in the heart of the pandemic and dives into everything that entailed, but i just think there's a certain sensitivity missing with some aspects that sour the experience. i really can't stop thinking about the above quote and i really do believe it has good intentions, but... he was a real man who had his life stolen, and it just feels a little disrespectful.
so... a 2.5, rounded up to 3, i guess. hope i have better luck with erdrich's other works.
i'm not opposed to including current events in fiction. i'm not exhausted or uncomfortable by covid in film/tv/books, if it feels the approach is adequate enough. sometimes it's unavoidable. and it does have a lot to offer the narrative here, with the sense of isolation furthering the effects the haunting has already had on tookie, but the other events that coincided along with the early lockdowns are just mishandled to a degree, to me. the author does not shy away from including black lives matter/the murder of george floyd, and of course the former is something that we need to constantly discuss - and i think the reactions from the characters as they relate BLM and police brutality to their own experiences, since indigenous people have, of course, been targets since the beginning of this 'country' - there's a point where the real, actual death of a Real person feels just a little exploited. the main character's husband is ex-tribal police and he has some dialogue where he tries to defend police as a whole, where he says he hopes he would've stopped it had he been present at the murder, and to his credit, he does reminiscence later on about the inherent brutality that comes with the uniform but it just feels slightly tone-deaf to include, especially when there's other passages about these fictional characters being prominent in protests for floyd, and this particularly egrigious line on page 235:
"Those little restaurants had great soup," I said. "Too bad George Floyd won't taste any."
the context is the "violence" of the protests, how looting always occurs in the aftermath - but there's just something about this line that put a bad taste in my mouth that stuck with me throughout the rest of the story and made it difficult to really enjoy what i'd read thus far. this is clearly a book written with a lot of emotion, a book written in the heart of the pandemic and dives into everything that entailed, but i just think there's a certain sensitivity missing with some aspects that sour the experience. i really can't stop thinking about the above quote and i really do believe it has good intentions, but... he was a real man who had his life stolen, and it just feels a little disrespectful.
so... a 2.5, rounded up to 3, i guess. hope i have better luck with erdrich's other works.
gracieterry's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was my first book by Louise Erdrich, and I think her writing is impactful. I thought the setting / timing / pacing of the story was well done. Indigenous stories and perspectives are important, and I am grateful that I chose this book to begin learning more about those topics. There were times that I laughed while reading, and times Inwas overcome by sadness. If an author and their book makes me feel, it’s a win in my book.
profbowwow's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
hmangen's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Having lived in Minneapolis when George Floyd was murdered, this book was incredibly moving to me. I haven't had the opportunity to read much about what it was like to be in Minneapolis in the summer of 2020 beyond op eds, and to be taken back there through Erdrich's masterful prose and the beautiful weaving of these themes together was .... incredibly affirming and deeply sobering in equal measure. I'm so glad she wrote this.
clay1914's review against another edition
3.0
Exposing myself to new cultures and appreciating so much that I don’t know.