After/during the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, I started following more BIPOC Instagrammers and especially book-y types. And I committed to purchasing and reading more BIPOC written work. Louise Erdrich has long been a favored author, so it wasn’t a stretch to get her latest novel, just a little nudge to get out of my reading rut and purchase from a Black owned book store.

Based on Ms. Erdrich’s grandfather’s life, a tribal council member who fought Indian eradication, the story is heartbreaking, eye-opening, and captivating. The cast of characters brings brevity and depth to the reservation life. I was eager to follow the plot and the tribespeople and almost lonely when the book was done. Oh, Covid, you make fictional friends so necessary.

Highly recommend 4/5 stars