Author, Louise Erdrich, has long been a favorite. Plague of Doves captivated me so much that I read it three times. Her latest book, The Sentence, was published last year. It did not grab me as her previous books have. For part of the book I was reading it out of loyalty to Louise. That changed when she writes about the circumstances around the death of George Floyd and the impact of COVID.
Erdrich owns a bookstore in Minneapolis, Birchbark Books. A bookstore, obviously modeled on Birchbark, figures prominently in this novel. Observations and insights about life and relationships feature in significant ways in the waning chapters, rewarding readers who persevere. Just don't expect the book to engage as quickly as past ones do.
Tookie is the protagonist in the book. The book's primary focus is on Tookie's adult life. Toward the book's end Tookie is reflecting on the difficult relationship she had with her mother. Over the years her thoughts have been largely on her mother's failings. Her mother was a drug addict who only managed to stay clean while she was pregnant with Tookie. As Tookie matures she begins to recognize that she also failed her mother. Tookie realizes "You can't get over the things you do to other people as easily as you get over things that they do to you." P. 358. This is a sample of the profundity for which Erdrich is rightly famous.
Yes, I recommend it.
Takk for alt,
Al
Today's random: Everyday on my way to school in Ayuthaya I'd pass this temple.
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