Enjoyed this a lot; a great first novel. It's a generational novel that's really a series of short stories, so not a page-turner - but each chapter had a pleasing shape and moments that touch the heart.

Despite the setting and bleak opening, there was a lot of warmth in this book. Characters are outrageous but not caricatures; they hurt each other and themselves, but they feel human and relatable.

The narrator that steals the show, of course, is Lipsha. A wise and witty young autodidact, his voice is totally unexpected and beautifully written. He's the spiritual heart of the book, yet his moments of insight are complex - he's definitely not a trope-y magical Indian.

Will read (and recommend) more Erdrich! ( )

In Love Medicine we meet people whose ancestors and descendants will populate so many of Erdrich's novels--the intertwined families of Nanapush, Pillager, Kashpaw and Lamartine, among others, including the nuns from the convent "up the hill". It's a story lover's dream, and a genealogist's Rubik's cube. It hits all my Faulkner buttons, too. The stories in this book are just pieces of the saga, and the big picture will never come clear until all the rest of the parts have been revealed, and shuffled around by one character and then another. I suppose this puts some readers off, but it’s the kind of thing that I just love. I give it 4 stars and a hug. ( )

This book contains a series of interrelated vignettes told from the points of view of about a dozen members of three related Chippewa families living in North Dakota. It covers a half century from 1934 to 1984. The stories are sequenced in a non-linear manner. They complement each other, often portraying a different person’s interpretation of the same situation.

The stories are told with elements of humor and tragedy, and the people come across as realistic and relatable. Themes include family, faith, substance abuse, betrayal, and love. It is a multifaceted and compassionate portrayal of issues that have cascaded down generations of indigenous people.

This book is Louise Erdrich’s debut. I have read several of her books and enjoyed them all. Her writing is stellar. She addresses Native American issues in a manner that is integrated into her storytelling. I find it a very effective way to communicate. ( )

57-1

I read this right after "Shadow Tag" and couldn't figure out who was who, if the stories were interconnected, or what was going on. ( )