The Sentence

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich is about a bookstore being haunted by their most annoying customer. But it is so much more than that.

On All Souls Day, Flora dies. Tookie is convinced that since then she has been haunting the bookstore - traveling the same isles that Flora did most days, her bangles gently jingling. The independent bookstore in Minneapolis is based on the author's own store.

Tookie got the job at the bookstore after spending years in prison. Her love of books grew during her incarceration. A former teacher would drop off books when she could. Not she must solve what Flrora wants. 

Beginning in November 2019, the characters live through our changing world - Covid, police shootings, continued prejudice against Black and brown people. Tookie explores what the living owe to the dead in this moving, loving look at one of the strangest years of our lives.

Erdrich is a wonderful writer. She is the only author I can think of whose work somehow already has the prospective to write about event so recent with such care and insight.

Erdrich, Louise. (2021). The Sentence. New York: Harper. 

The Night Watchman

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich is a beautiful story of people working together to stop politicians from steamrolling over them. 

Based on family stories of her grandfather, Erdrich tells of the 1953-54 Turtle Mountain tribe of Chippewa campaigning to defeat a bill before congress that would eliminate status of their tribe - dissolving the reservation in order to sell the land.

Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing factory on the reservation. During his quite nights he also takes care of tribe business and writes letters. 

His niece, Pixie, works at the plant. Women are better at the small, detailed work involved. Pixie would rather be called Patrice. When her sister who has been relocated to the city via a program for Indians goes missing, she tries to find her. 

Wood Mountain, a local boxer, agrees to a rematch to raise funds to send representatives to a hearing in Washington. 

Erdrich's novel is filled with memorable characters. Her writing is poetic and beautiful. After reading this, I will be reading all of her other works!

Erdrich, Louise. (2020). The Night Watchman. New York: Harper Collins.