A review by poisonenvy
The Round House by Louise Erdrich

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

4.0

In Joe's thirteenth summer, his entire life is turned upside-down. His mother is brutally raped, the perpetrator is unknown, and and his family have to learn how to overcome it. This is a story about a crime -- a crime that is far too common, especially among Indigenous women -- but it's about a lot more than that too. It's a story about Joe learning how to become the sort of man that he eventually will grow into. It's a look into life on an Ojibwe reservation. It's about colonialism and spirituality, misogyny and growing up.  

This book in beautifully written and wonderfully told. The prose flows. There's an uncomfortable juxtaposition of the rape of Joe's mother, and Joe's own views on women, just beginning to form, but I found that it was handled quite well.  

This was a book club read, and I was glad for the opportunity to read it (especially to read it with my friends!)
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