Erdrich, Louise

Average customer rating:

Interesting and well written
Tracks, and all of Erdrich's Fleur Pillager books
This book follows me trough life
It Changed the Course of my Life
Not my fav....

Tracks
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060972459
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Book Description

Set in North Dakota at a time in this century when Indian tribes were struggling to keep what little remained of their lands, Tracks is a tale of passion and deep unrest. Over the course of ten crucial years, as tribal land and trust between people erode ceaselessly, men and women are pushed to the brink of their endurance--yet their pride and humor prohibit surrender. The reader will experience shock and pleasure in encountering a group of characters that are compelling and rich in their vigor, clarity, and indomitable vitality.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting and well written.......2007-02-07

Erdrich is an amazing weaver of words. There are two narrators in this book, each chapter alternates between Nanapush an older very traditional Ojibwe man and Pauline a contemporary of our main character Fleur, who is shunning the traditional ways.

I had a hard time with this book because I really enjoyed Nanapush's narration, he is funny and wise and insightful. But then I would get to the next chapter that was narrated by Pauline--who in a way reminds me of Elphalba from "Wicked" she is determined to be always right, essentially destroying herself and those around her. She is a selfish and mentally deluded character.

The twin narration follows the life of one character, Fleur. She is like and adoptive daughter to Nanapush and a sort of sister/rival to Pauline. While Pauline is rather homley Fleur is beautiful and other worldly. Her tribes people suspect her of a liason with the monster that lives in the lake.

Its the story of people being pushed off their land by the government and some of their own people. Ultimately the story is a tragedy with some mythic elements and great dashes of humour (courtesy of Nanapush--he is a brilliant character, I'd almost reccomend reading this book on the strength of him alone).

Tracks, and all of Erdrich's Fleur Pillager books.......2007-01-13

Louise Erdrich has written I don't know how many novels featuring Fleur Pillager and her still-increasing North Dakota Chippewa clan. Tracks remains my favorite, mostly because of Nanapush, surely one of the most wonderful characters ever to inhabit the pages of a novel. "Talk is an old man's last vice," Nanapush says. When he gets ill, he says "I got well by talking. Death could not get a word in edgewise, grew discouraged, and traveled on." You won't, you'll sit at Nanapush's feet and never want to get up, not while he's still talking. My only complaint about Tracks is it's too short.

The Beet Queen and Love Medicine are about the same characters, not really sequels or prequels, just more stories about the same great folks. You'll be happy you get more than one visit.

This book follows me trough life.......2007-01-01

Tracks jumped out at me in a bookstore in Northampton, Massachusetts 12 years ago. I was just browsing the shelves and I randomly picked up and bought this book. I have read it several times since then and keep reading Louise Erdrich's other books following the same characters trough generations.
I fell in love with Nanapush, Fleur and their way of life. I feel uneasy about Pauline and everything she represents. Louise Erdrich has a way of weaving together dreams, smells, present time and past time. She has a way of writing poetry I can understand in the form of Nanapush and how he sees the world around him.
This book is one of my most treasured books and I keep discovering new things in this and following books as I grow older and change perspective on things. It is not just a book about Native Americans but about life.

It Changed the Course of my Life.......2006-07-26

I read this book in a Native American Literature course about 12 years ago. My father is full blooded Native American and my teacher was white and I thought he couldn't teach me anything. I had a chip on my shoulder and my teacher knocked it off of me with this book. He told me he wanted ME to teach this book to the class so I had to read this book like I had never read any book before. Perhaps my unique connection to the book made me enjoy the book more than these other reviewers, but I think that it would still be one of my favorite books even if had not read it for class. I teach high school English and have read A LOT of books - all kinds of books, not just classics. Even if you read this and find that you can't fully understand it, that's OKAY. Part of the problem with my students is they are always looking for the AUTHOR"S interpretation or the TEACHER'S interpretation - just enjoy your own interpretation. The book is not that hard to understand, but the imagery and symbolism is deep. This is an important book, as pretty soon there will be no Native Americans left to tell our stories. Less than 1% of this nation is Native American and it's important to read these stories. The mixing of Christianity with Native traditions is particularly significant in this story. In fact, I based my Master's thesis on the themes in this work. I met Louise Erdrich a couple of years ago at a book signing and I wanted to tell her this book changed my life, but how cheesy would that be?

Not my fav...........2006-05-31

I was forced to read this book for my sophomore english class. Let's just say, it's not my favorite book. It started off hard to follow, and then as it progressed, it became more and more difficult to comprehend. There is a lot of old people sex and sexual inuendos. The plot is slow and to be honest, i am really not interested in reading any more books about indians. I'm not racist, just sick of all the indian books! I do think that the book was written well and it was interesting how Erdrich switched narrators. Overall I wouldn't have picked to read this book on my own, but if you like nature stories about the troubles that Indians had to go through, then go ahead read this book.

Average customer rating:

Pass on Erdrich's latest
erdrich rocks!
Engrossing
Twenty years of reading her writings
Very enthralling and captivating!

The Painted Drum: A Novel (P.S.)
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060515112
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

While appraising the estate of a New Hampshire family descended from a North Dakota Indian agent, Faye Travers is startled to discover a rare moose skin and cedar drum fashioned long ago by an Ojibwe artisan. And so begins an illuminating journey both backward and forward in time, following the strange passage of a powerful yet delicate instrument, and revealing the extraordinary lives it has touched and defined.

Compelling and unforgettable, Louise Erdrich's Painted Drum explores the often fraught relationship between mothers and daughters, the strength of family, and the intricate rhythms of grief with all the grace, wit, and startling beauty that characterizes this acclaimed author's finest work.

Download Description

When a woman named Faye Travers is called upon to appraise the estate of a family in her small New Hampshire town, she isn't surprised to discover a forgotten cache of valuable Native American artifacts. After all, the family descends from an Indian agent who worked on the North Dakota Ojibwe reservation that is home to her mother's family. However, she stops dead in her tracks when she finds in the collection a rare drum -- a powerful yet delicate object, made from a massive moose skin stretched across a hollow of cedar, ornamented with symbols she doesn't recognize and dressed in red tassels and a beaded belt and skirt -- especially since, without touching the instrument, she hears it sound.

From Faye's discovery, we trace the drum's passage both backward and forward in time, from the reservation on the northern plains to New Hampshire and back. Through the voice of Bernard Shaawano, an Ojibwe, we hear how his grandfather fashioned the drum after years of mourning his young daughter's death, and how it changes the lives of those whose paths its crosses. And through Faye we hear of her anguished relationship with a local sculptor, who himself mourns the loss of a daughter, and of the life she has made alone with her mother, in the shadow of the death of Faye's sister.

Through these compelling voices, The Painted Drum explores the strange power that lost children exert on the memories of those they leave behind, and as the novel unfolds, its elegantly crafted narrative comes to embody the intricate, transformative rhythms of human grief. One finds throughout the grace and wit, the captivating prose and surprising beauty, that characterize Louise Erdrich's finest work."

Customer Reviews:

Pass on Erdrich's latest.......2007-05-17

I've got one word to sum up this book - yawn. I've been a fan of many of Erdrich's earlier novels, such as The Bingo Palace, and Love Medicine. Erdrich has made a name for herself as a writer who vividly portrays the balancing act of Native Americans in a westernized world. Sadly, The Painted Drum doesn't live up to her earlier writing, and is beyond boring. Erdrich seems to be following in the vein of movies these days, that is to say forgetting to include a plot. The book begins as a dull and detailed description of sifting through the junk in someone's attic, which is about as interesting as watching paint dry in someone's attic. I was so bored I couldn't even finish listening to the book. Do yourself a favor, and pass on The Painted Drum.

erdrich rocks!.......2007-01-30

as with all of her novels, louise erdrich weaves an unusual and original story about an ordinary object; in this case, a drum. she uses odd but real characters, diverse landscapes and geographical locations, and beautiful language to entertain us to the last page.

Engrossing.......2006-10-24

What I really appreciate about this book (as well as all Louise Erdrich's work) is the different cultural perspective on events, the difference in interpretation of those events, which I assume are Native American.

I couldn't put the book down - that is, when I wasn't listening to it on CD during commutes to work.

Twenty years of reading her writings.......2006-06-05

Louise Erdrich has the ability to capture simple truths that make life significant. She can also make the most unbeleivable scenes (such as the Mother throwing her baby to the wolves) seem totally sane. I think LOVE MEDICINE is a book that will be a classic always. This may not be that good but read it and see.

Very enthralling and captivating!.......2006-04-18

This is the first fiction book I have read in years and am so glad I stumbled upon it! I would highly recommend it to anyone that wants to escape into a journey that will not soon be forgotten. Like a dream remembered upon waking, it stays with you. Kudos to the authoress.

Average customer rating:

half and half
1847 from the Perspective of an Ojibwa Child
2 Thumbs up
A Very Good Read!
The Birchbark house is an absolutely amazing novel

The Birchbark House
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0786814543

Amazon.com

Nineteenth-century American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House books. With The Birchbark House, award-winning author Louise Erdrich's first novel for young readers, this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited, 7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because her first step was a hop. The sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on Spirit Island, Omakayas, then only a baby girl, was rescued by a fearless woman named Tallow and welcomed into an Ojibwa family on Lake Superior's Madeline Island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. We follow Omakayas and her adopted family through a cycle of four seasons in 1847, including the winter, when a historically documented outbreak of smallpox overtook the island.

Readers will be riveted by the daily life of this Native American family, in which tanning moose hides, picking berries, and scaring crows from the cornfield are as commonplace as encounters with bear cubs and fireside ghost stories. Erdrich--a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa--spoke to Ojibwa elders about the spirit and significance of Madeline Island, read letters from travelers, and even spent time with her own children on the island, observing their reactions to woods, stones, crayfish, bear, and deer. The author's softly hewn pencil drawings infuse life and authenticity to her poetic, exquisitely wrought narrative. Omakayas is an intense, strong, likable character to whom young readers will fully relate--from her mixed emotions about her siblings, to her discovery of her unique talents, to her devotion to her pet crow Andeg, to her budding understanding of death, life, and her role in the natural world. We look forward to reading more about this brave, intuitive girl--and wholeheartedly welcome Erdrich's future series to the canon of children's classics. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Customer Reviews:

half and half.......2007-03-02

We had to read the Birchbark House for a 7th grade class assignment. I thought this book was kind of interesting, because it had some funny parts and some sad parts in the middle of the story. In the beginning it was really boring. Sometimes it's hard to understand because they used a lot of Indian words but they provide a glossary. I think thee book could use some more funny and violent parts to get people interested to read more. I gave this book 3 stars because it was an o.k. book. It was kind of boring in the beginning but it got a lot better. It needed more funny parts. It was a good book but not one I would have picked. I would recommend this book to high schoolers, but they have to have a little Indian in them to understand you must like: sad, boring, exciting, and funny to enjoy this book.

1847 from the Perspective of an Ojibwa Child.......2006-04-28

The Birchbark House (originally published in 1999) is the story of a year in the life of a seven-year-old girl and her Ojibwa family, living on an island in Lake Superior in 1847. The book was written by Louise Erdrich, herself a member of the Turtle Band of Ojibwa (former name: Anishinabe). The Birchbark House takes place during the same time frame as Little House on the Prairie, and the two books share certain similarities. However, The Birchbark House illustrates that time frame from the perspective of the Native Americans, who fear being pushed ever Westward by white people. It includes many Ojibwa words and customs, and Ms. Erdrich does a wonderful job of conveying the sense of harmony that the Ojibwa share with their surroundings.

The Birchbark House is told from the point of view of young Omakayas (Little Frog), so named because her first step was a hop. She lives with her parents (when her father isn't away working as a fur trader), her grandmother, her older sister Angeline, and her two younger brothers, Pinch and Neewo. As the book begins, the family is moving to their summer fishing camp in a birchbark house by the lake. The reader quickly comes to know Omakayas. She is bright and quick. She admires and envies her beautiful older sister, and adores her baby brother Neewo. Pinch, on the other hand, is the bane of her existence, and we see that sibling rivalries easily transcend cultural backgrounds. The characters of Omakayas' entire family are realistically drawn.

At first, this book seems like a pleasant, easy read, with descriptions of berrying and scaring away crows from the corn, and harvesting rice. Soon, however, Erdrich begins to deal with larger issues, related to the encroachment of the white people, the dreaded small-pox, and the possibility of starvation during the harsh winter. I was stunned by how bleak things became, relative to the early joyfulness. But in the end, the book offers hope.

I listened to this book on MP3, and thought that the narration was excellent. The Native American voice of the grandmother, in particular, was quite compelling. And I'll remember the voice of the family's pet crow for quite some time, squawking out "Gego, Pinch".

I think that this would be a perfect companion book for anyone reading the Little House books, showing another side to the story. The Ojibwa words should also lend themselves well to read-aloud for younger kids. The book is targeted to middle grade readers, probably up to about 7th grade. However, because there are sad parts to the book, I would strongly recommend that parents read the book themselves, too. Without being heavy handed about it, The Birchbark House opens the door to discussions about how Native Americans were treated during the 1800s, what constitutes a family, survival, and respect for elders. And it's also fun, too! Really, it's a wonderful book, and I'm glad that I finally got around to listening to it. I highly recommend it.

This review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on April 27th, 2006.

2 Thumbs up.......2005-09-29

Interesting piece of literature to do a multicultural lesson if you are a teacher.

If not, then it is great to familiarize oneself with the Natives of the land.

A Very Good Read!.......2005-09-26

The Birchbarck House was a fun quick read. I needed it for a Native American class and the book was a wonderful and factual sorce for information on North East Native Americans! I would say that this is a good read for anyone who wants an interesting read along with the historical backround!

The Birchbark house is an absolutely amazing novel.......2005-05-30

This story tells the life of a girl it takes you really into the story. It is a thrilling story. If you love story's about other cultures you will love this one.

Average customer rating:

Engrossing Read
A Rich Chorus of Characters!
Beautiful...
The Master Butchers
A beautiful, intimate, perfectly woven and sensuous work

The Master Butchers Singing Club (P.S.)
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060837055
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Amazon.com

Louise Erdrich's The Master Butchers Singing Club is a powerfully told story of love, death, redemption, and resurrection. After German soldier Fidelis Waldvogel returns home from World War I to marry his best friend's pregnant widow, he packs up his father's butcher knives and sets sail for America. He settles in Argus, North Dakota, where he sets up a meat shop with his wife Eva, who quickly befriends the struggling yet resourceful Delphine Watzka. Delphine, who runs a vaudeville show with her balancing partner Cyprian Lazarre, has returned home to Argus to care for her alcoholic father. While most of this emotionally rich novel focuses on the changing landscape of small-town life as seen through Delphine and Fidelis's eyes, Erdrich does a masterful job of illuminating hidden dramas through her secondary characters. Erdrich's portrayal of these various townsfolk, including members of the Master Butchers Singing Club, truly shows off her storytelling talent. Her ability to infuse each character with a distinct and multifaceted personality makes this novel an intimate and thought-provoking adventure. --Gisele Toueg

Book Description

Having survived World War I, Fidelis Waldvogel returns to his quiet German village and marries the pregnant widow of his best friend, killed in action. With a suitcase full of sausages and a master butcher's precious knife set, Fidelis sets out for America. In Argus, North Dakota, he builds a business, a home for his family—which includes Eva and four sons—and a singing club consisting of the best voices in town. When the Old World meets the New—in the person of Delphine Watzka—the great adventure of Fidelis's life begins. Delphine meets Eva and is enchanted. She meets Fidelis, and the ground trembles. These momentous encounters will determine the course of Delphine's life, and the trajectory of this brilliant novel.

Download Description

What happens when a trained killer discovers, in the aftermath of war, that his true vocation is love? From the award-winning New York Times bestselling author of Love Medicine comes an enchanting, richly imagined world "where butchers sing like angels."

Customer Reviews:

Engrossing Read.......2007-04-19

Louise Erdrich has been a favorite author of mine for many years and this book is no exception. After reading the first sentence you are immediately drawn into a tale full of the joys and sorrows that make up human existence. The book is beautifully crafted, the narrative rich and the characters absorbing. I highly recommend every project Ms. Erdrich has had a hand in from her novels to her poetry, she is a master wordsmith and storyteller.

A Rich Chorus of Characters!.......2007-02-19

The main characters of this novel are Delphine Watzka and Fidelis Waldvogel, a WWI soldier who, after the war, returns to his quiet German village and marries pregnant, Eva who was engaged to his best friend, killed in the war. Fidelis sets out for America and settles in Argus, ND, opens a butcher shop, brings his wife and four sons to America from Germany. Later his wife dies and he marries Delphine. A fascinating saga, rich with interesting characters and emotion, and a twist at the end.

Beautiful..........2007-02-03

Like some other reviewers, I was "mislead" by the title of this book. I also thought that the story centered on a butcher and the singing club he was a member of. I was surprised when I read this book and found out differently. Quite pleasantly surprised.

Although I have seen Erdrich's books before, this was the first one I ever read. I found her writing to be quite brilliant. My interest in the story and characters never wavered thanks to Erdrich's ability to write such beautiful scenarios and imagery. All of her characters, particularly Delphine were written incredibly well. I personally wished there would have been more about Eva. She left the story far too early for me. Erdrich does a great job of describing the life these characters led and gives a wonderful feeling for the type of town Argus was.

Sure, there a few loose ends, some untidy things that Erdrich could have cleaned up, but this in no way detracted from the story for me. I highly recommend this wonderful book and will certainly begin reading her other books.

The Master Butchers.......2007-01-10

I had not read any other books by this author yet but was intrigued by the description of this book. Several book club friends were not enthusiastic but I ordered it anyway and I'm happy I did.

I really enjoy colorful characters and this book supplied just enough without overdoing the "John Irving" approach. The main character won my heart and the profile of the 2nd son was very believable.

I wouild recommend!

A beautiful, intimate, perfectly woven and sensuous work.......2007-01-10

Louise Erdich has been a great joy to read since her first novel Love Medicine. In Master Butcher's Singing Club, she shows her wonderful ability to weave a story of family which yields a rich saga but never fails to shine on the unique qualities and fabric of each separate character. You end up with a magnificent blanket that always illuminates the unique qualities of every yarn used in the making of it.

Her multicultural background seems to become more beautifully crystallized as the years go by and as she continues to grow, her life experiences seem to be form a more expansive view of her cultural roots.

I absolutely loved this book and was able to lose myself in the flow of the story and the emotions I could not resist feeling for each of her characters within it. As is true of any great author, Louise Erdich is a friend who will enhance your life in the time you dedicate to reading this wonderfully written novel.

Average customer rating:

Love Medicine Heals the Heart
Thoughts about book and reviews
Her first novel? You've got to be kidding me!
A Work of Excellence
No impressed

Love Medicine: A Novel (P.S.)
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tracks
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ASIN: 0060786469
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Book Description

The stunning first novel in Louise Erdrich's Native American series, Love Medicine tells the story of two families -- the Kashpaws and the Lamartines. Written in Erdrich's uniquely poetic, powerful style, it is a multigenerational portrait of strong men and women caught in an unforgettable drama of anger, desire, and the healing power that is love medicine.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Love Medicine Heals the Heart.......2007-03-23

In Louise Erdrich's novel "Love Medicine," the reader is introduced to a rich and varied cast of native americans living on a Chippewa Reservation in the Dakotas. The novel is basically an inter-connected set of short stories, all of which deal with the trials and tribulations of the Kashpaw family,a well respected, well-connected family. The running theme is the way we all deal with life, death, and every mountain and hurdle in between. The central characters all learn the best way to cope with nearly any situation is to rely on the heart, to let love heal the wounds of the soul. Erdrich paints her characters in colors that are extremely believable and heartbreakingly true to the human form. At any rate, she certainly didn't deserve the critiscm that Leslie Silko slapped on her. If you are looking for examples of "noble savages" fighting the corrupting influences of the evil, outside world, then, reader, you should look somewere else. Erdrich's work has none of the high-minded, self-righteousness that Silko spouts from every page. In a sense, Erdrich's story is more real, warmer,and infinetly more enjoyable than Silko's.

Thoughts about book and reviews.......2007-03-22

About a month ago, I returned to this book after well over a decade. It meant a lot to me when I first read it, and it means a lot to me now. Most writers can point to a book that so inspired them, they made the impractical and too often demoralizing decision to become a writer; so it was with Love Medicine and me. Erdrich is the kind of master of language and of the art of perception and voice that one can never hope to match, with phrases and lines and microstructures so graceful a reader can find herself sprawled out in some other consciousness, having slid right through them. I was surprised to see the negative review listed below by J.V., so I looked at that reviewer's other reviews. Mostly she reviews games. Games have heroes and villains. They have protagonists and antagonists. These are the stuff of fantasy. Fantasy is wonderful...for those who don't believe life itself is beautiful enough, in all of its horror and complexity, to spend any serious time in. This book deserves careful readers, and obviously has done well to turn away anyone looking for a simplistic moral to the story (we have fables to take on that role) or characters who serve as symbols and dichotomies (we have relgious extremists and pop psychologists and the like to give use plenty o' this) or stereotypes of the "Noble Savage" (made-for-TV movies and cultural panderers may wear this crown), and has instead won an enduring audience who will always recognize Erdrich as among the top voices of English-language literature. Erdrich is an artful, intelligent, subtle woman who can make you feel some degree compassion for anyone, however flawed and from any background, and real compassion is much needed in this rather cruel and crude, if compelling and lovely, world of ours.

Her first novel? You've got to be kidding me!.......2006-08-01

It just does not seem fair that someone could claim this work as her first novel. It is so intricately woven, and the multiple narratives are so expertly spoken, that I find it very difficult to believe it came from a novice.
At this point, I have read approximately 15 Native American works/novels, including Momaday, Silko, Welch, Dorris, Alexie and Sa--and I think I must say that Erdrich's "Love Medicine" tops them all. It is well thought out...almost too well thought out.
It is funny and disturbing intermittently, but most of all, it is about families, rivals, and life. It is about connections.
Forget the fact that it is a "Native American Novel" and concern yourself only with the fact that it is one of the most engaging stories in contemporary fiction.
Warning: one must be on one's toes while reading this! Snooze for two paragraphs and you may be sorry. Much like Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich is a very deliberate writer...everything is written for a reason and you had best believe that every little detail is connected to something. This is a book you will insist upon reading at least twice.
P.S. Beware! There are two different versions of this novel out there...one of which is missing four valuable chapters. Before buying or borrowing, make sure your table of contents has "The Island," "Resurrection," "The Tomahawk Factory," and "Lyman's Luck." -Having read the more complete version of "Love Medicine," I absolutely cannot fathom doing without these four chapters. Avoid depriving yourself if possible.

A Work of Excellence.......2006-06-22

Erdrich's book has everything a great novel should have - sex & love, tradegy and heartbreak, beauty and poise. Truly of one of the most beautiful novels I've ever read.

No impressed.......2006-04-04

Love Medicine was a required reading in my upper division English course in college. I was not impressed at all. The writing style is very good but the story and characters are complete pathetic and miserable. If one doesn't know anything about Native Americans, he would think that they are nothing but alcoholics and losers who didn't have enough gutts to make anything out of their lives despites the hardships that the government bestowed on them. There is not one likable character in the book. Everyone is either an alcoholic, a run away, phsycologically challenged or has children from multiple partners.

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse: A Novel

Average customer rating:

One of the best books I have ever read
good but...
Simply Wonderful!
SHOULD BE 10 STARS!!!!!
Unusual story of an unusual priest on a native reserve

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse: A Novel
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Tracks
Four Souls : A Novel (Erdrich, Louise)
Love Medicine : A Novel (Perennial Classics)
The Painted Drum: A Novel (P.S.)
The Master Butchers Singing Club (P.S.)

ASIN: 0060931221
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Amazon.com

Over the course of 13 years and five novels, Louise Erdrich has staked out a richly imagined corner of North Dakota soil--her own Yoknapatawpha, where every character is connected to every other and nothing can be said to happen for the first time. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse is no exception. The report in question comes from Father Damien Modeste, who has served the Ojibwe through a century of famine, epidemics, murders, and feuds. But the good priest is not what he appears. The prologue ends with the curiously beautiful image of the old man slowly removing heavy robes, undergarments, and, at last, a bandage wound tightly around women's breasts: "small, withered, modest as folded flowers."

How--and why--could such a deception last so long? That's the first mystery. The second begins when Father Jude Miller (a name familiar to readers of The Beet Queen) arrives to investigate the life of Sister Leopolda (or Pauline Puyat, another familiar name). Was Leopolda a saint? Or its opposite, whatever that is? Miracles, after all, are a part of the reservation's everyday life; for every nun's stigmata there's a secular wonder like the death of Nanapush. Indeed, the chapter detailing this old trickster's demise is the kind of earthy, tragicomic fable Erdrich does to perfection, including as it does an extended trial by moose, death by flatulence, and not one but two lustful resurrections.

Erdrich's writing is at its best when she chronicles the bittersweet humor of reservation life. It's at its worst, sadly, when she cranks up the fog machine and goes for the violins. ("He had the odd sensation that petals drifted in the air between them, petals of a fragrant and papery citrus velvet," she tells us, telegraphing Father Jude's attraction to a woman.) But at least the book's sins are sins of ambition--this is a novelist who revisits the same territory because the capaciousness of her vision demands it. Readers may forgive Erdrich's vagueness about Father Damien's religious calling, but they will never forget her images, as lovely and surprising as figures glimpsed in a dream: the devil in the shape of a black dog, his paw in a bowl of soup; freshly planted pansies, nodding at the priests' feet "like the faces of spoiled babies"; a woman in a billowing white nightdress riding a grand piano through the "gray soup" of a flood. Moments like these are small miracles of their own. --Mary Park

Book Description

For more than a half century, Father Damien Modeste has served his beloved people, the Ojibwe, on the remote reservation of Little No Horse. Now, nearing the end of his life, Father Damien dreads the discovery of his physical identity, for he is a woman who has lived as a man. To complicate his fears, his quiet life changes when a troubled colleague comes to the reservation to investigate the life of the perplexing, difficult, possibly false saint Sister Leopolda. Father Damien alone knows the strange truth of Sister Leopolda's piety and is faced with the most difficult decision of his life: Should he reveal all he knows and risk everything? Or should he manufacture a protective history though he believes Leopolda's wonder-working is motivated by evil?

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Special feature: This PerfectBound e-book contains a reading group guide to The Last Report on The Miracles at Little No Horse and our exclusive interview with Louise Erdrich. For more than a half century, Father Damien Modeste has served his beloved people, the Ojibwe, on the remote reservation of Little No Horse. Compelled to his task by a direct mystical experience, Father Damien has made enormous sacrifices, and experienced the joys of commitment as well as deep suffering. Now, nearing the end of his life, Father Damien dreads the discovery of his physical identity, for he is a woman who has lived as a man. He imagines the undoing of all that he has accomplished -- sees unions unsundered, baptisms nullified, those who confessed to him once again unforgiven. To complicate his fears, his quiet life changes when a troubled colleague comes to the reservation to investigate the life of the perplexing, difficult, possibly false saint Sister Leopolda. Father Damien alone knows the strange truth of Sister Leopolda's piety, but these facts are bound up in his own secret. In relating his history and that of Leopolda, whose wonder working is documented but inspired, he believes, by a capacity for evil rather than the love of good, Father Damien is forced to choose: Should he reveal all he knows and risk everything? Or should he manufacture a protective history? In spinning out the tale of his life, Father Damien in fact does both. His story encompasses his life as a young woman, her passions, and the pestilence, tribal hatreds, and sorrows passed from generation to generation of Ojibwe. From the fantastic truth of Father Damien's origin as a woman to the hilarious account of the absurd demise of Nanapush, his best friend on the reservation, his story ranges over the span of the century.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books I have ever read.......2007-02-05

I just picked this book up recently and was instantly drawn into the storyline. I could not stop reading it. I will not go on and on, I just want to say that I think it would make a fantastic movie - I think Louise is an excellent author (never read anything of hers before) and I was sad to see the book come to an end! Great reading! :-)

good but..........2005-04-09

I found this book to be good but also slightly flawed.
I read it for a class (a University English class) and have been blown away by all the books so far but this one hasn't quite hit me the way some of the other novels I've read for the course did.
It started out great, I was really intrigued, but then sometime after page 100 I lost interest and just wanted the book to finish so I could write my paper and be done with it.
I really wish though that the book said somewhere on it that it is basically a part of a series. Until I came to the Amazon website and read a bunch of reviews I had no idea! Maybe reading more of her novels would have helped me get through the novel better in the first place!

Simply Wonderful!.......2005-03-25

This is one great novel. Louise Erdrich weaves stories together to form a unified tale, completely original and plausible. I have never read anything quite like this and was intrigued and interested throughout the entire book. I can't imagine anyone not being spellbound by such a tale.

SHOULD BE 10 STARS!!!!!.......2004-09-18

What an incredible book!! Plot was so unusual - so intriquing - so engrossing - I couldn't put it down! I look forward to reading more by this author - but I wonder if anything can top this story. Read it for the ultimate reader's high!

Unusual story of an unusual priest on a native reserve.......2004-09-05

An unusual life journey - that of Agnes Dewitt originally from rural Wisconsin, briefly a nun, then a passionate affair with Bernt, hostage in a bank robbery and then, after assuming the identity of the deceased Father Damien Modeste, a priest living on an Ojibwe reserve. This is a many layered reading experience with much about the lives of native Americans in the twentieth century, comic scenes to make you laugh out loud, moments of intense passion, and spiritual theme throughout reconciling Ojibwe spirituality with Catholicism. The novel begins with Father Damien at an ancient age being visited by the younger Father Jude Miller who has been sent to interview him about the possible sainthood of a nun from the reserve, Sister Leopolda, finally Father Damien is compelled to revisit events of the past and to tell his story.

At times Erdrich's writing is more like poetry than prose, though the different stories were beautifully told it was all somewhat disjointed for a novel, hard to keep track of the characters. What really held my attention was the idea of someone living as the other sex for an entire lifetime, this is what makes this book unique and unforgettable for me. I was curious all the way through as to what would happen when the "Father" died, that kept me turning the pages and was pleased by way the end finally came for Agnes.

Average customer rating:

a wonderful little book
A Bookful of Wonder
wonderful illustrations, and unusual story.

Grandmother's Pigeon
Louise Erdrich , Louise Erdich , and Jim LaMarche
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fiction | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786801654

Amazon.com

The mystical and the natural blend superbly in this first children's book by the accomplished literary novelist Louise Erdrich. The eccentric, well-traveled grandmother of two young kids decamps in mid-vacation, riding a porpoise to Greenland and leaving behind a trove of strange treasures and artifacts including a collection of bird's nests and three old eggs which hatch, marvelously, into passenger pigeons. Erdrich wields her Native American ancestry and her worldiness--Grandmother owns an original Klee--to give young readers a sense of the world's wonders and the wisdom of the elders, the old wisdom of the natural cycles that we are losing. A letter from Grandmother, promising to return, winds up this fetching tale.

Customer Reviews:

a wonderful little book.......2003-02-17

Louise Erdrich is the author of the award winning novels Love Medicine and The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse , amongst others. She is an incredibly gifted novelist. Grandmother's Pigeon is her first book for children.

I haven't read a book written specifically for children in well over a decade (Harry Potter and The Narnia series would be more for young adults and are suitable for adults on different levels), but Grandmother's Pigeon is a true children's book. It is only about 30 pages, half of which are illustrations. Like any good children's book, this one is mixed with the simple and the fantastic (perhaps all the more understandable considering Erdrich's American Indian heritage). The story is simple, a grandmother goes away on a trip and bird eggs are discovered in her room. When the eggs hatch, the birds turn out to be Passenger Pigeons (a long extinct species), three males. There is some commotion about the pigeons and finally they are released into the wild by the family. The fantastic comes in from the very start when Grandmother announces she is going to travel to Greenland on the back of a turtle and it is hinted the a stuffed animal toy pigeon may have been the cause of the mysterious eggs. It is a very sweet, charming story and I would imagine any child would enjoy reading this book.

A Bookful of Wonder.......2001-11-27

The illustrations in this book are wonderful and are a perfect compliment to this strange,comforting story of a loving family and the legacy of their magical grandmother. There are some subtle nuances that parents will pick up if they pay attention. This is a tale about ecology and love for free and wild creatures, with a bit of shamanism thrown in for good measure. There is humour here and wisdom. I love this book for the satisfying feeling of gentle wonder that I feel as I turn the last page and close the book. I recommend it to all with childish hearts.

wonderful illustrations, and unusual story........1998-11-21

helps to show children that people in their family can be different, but you still love them.

Average customer rating:

The changing world of American Indians and a good story
Yet another stellar novel from Louise Erdrich
A Star Made From Love
A Fascinating and Enigmatic Tale
The spirit and history

Four Souls: A Novel (P.S.)
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tracks
The Painted Drum: A Novel (P.S.)
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The Antelope Wife

ASIN: 0060935227
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Book Description

After taking her mother's name, Four Souls, for strength, the strange, compelling Fleur Pillager walks from her Ojibwe reservation to the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. She seeks restitution from and revenge on the lumber baron who has stripped her reservation. But revenge is never simple, and her intentions are complicated by her dangerous compassion for the man who wronged her.This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

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A strange and compelling unkillable woman decides to leave home, and the story begins. Fleur Pillager takes her mother's name, Four Souls, for strength and walks from her Ojibwe reservation to the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. She is seeking restitution from and revenge on the lumber baron who has stripped her reservation. But revenge is never simple, and she quickly finds her intentions complicated by her own dangerous compassion for the man who wronged her. Four Souls reminds us of the deep spirituality and the ordinary humanity of this world, and is as beautiful and lyrical as anything Louise Erdrich has written.

The two narrators of Four Souls are from utterly different worlds. Nanapush, a ""smart man and a fool,"" is both Fleur's savior and her conscience. He tells Fleur's story and tells his own. He would like a calm and discriminating love with his sweetheart, Margaret. He is old and would like to face death with his love beside him. Instead the two find themselves battling out their last years. When the childhood nemesis of Nanapush appears and casts his eye toward Margaret, Nanapush acts out an absurd revenge of his own and nearly ends up destroying everything. The other narrator, Polly Elizabeth Gheen, is a pretentious and vulnerable upper-crust fringe element, a hanger-on in a wealthy Minneapolis family, a woman aware of her precarious hold on those around her. To her own great surprise the entrance of Fleur Pillager into her household and her life effects a transformation she could never have predicted.

In the world of interconnected novels by Louise Erdrich, Four Souls is most closely linked to Tracks. All these works continue and elaborate the intricate story of life on a reservation peopled by saints and false saints, heroes and sinners, clever fools and tenacious women. Four Souls reminds us of the deep spirituality and the ordinary humanity of this world, and is as beautiful and lyrical as anything Louise Erdrich has written."

Customer Reviews:

The changing world of American Indians and a good story.......2005-03-27

Through the years I've read several books by Louise Erdrich. She's a good writer although sometimes I find her narrative to be a bit confusing. This is the case in her 2004 "Four Souls" in which she uses a character she's used in books before, an American Indian woman named Fleur Pillager.

The book had a good beginning. It's set in the Midwest in the 1920s. Fleur is out for revenge against the wealthy white man who had stolen the Indian's land. Her plans are to make him suffer, but she soon discovers that he is very ill. She becomes a laundress in his household and manages to cure him with the intent of making him suffer later. Things don't work out exactly as she planned though and, as the story unfolds, she becomes hard to understand.

There are several narrators. One is Polly Gheen, the gently-raised spinster sister-in-law of the wealthy man. I loved her voice and the way she tells her story. Another narrator is Nanapush, an aging Indian man who is still on the reservation. I suspect he had appeared in other books about Fleur and one of the problems of "Four Souls" is that the back-story isn't clear. But Nanapush sure is clear. He's both comical and wise and managed to make me laugh out loud. He and his wife Margaret are always fighting but he loves her tremendously with a passion not usually aspired to elderly people. He commits some very foolhardy acts to show that love and this is where the book seems to turn into a farce. Margaret is a narrator too and it's nice to get her point of view as the story unfolds.

The book is short, a mere 201 pages and an easy read. I enjoyed being thrust into the contrasting worlds of the both the rich people and the American Indians. Some of the central characters needed more development though, especially Fleur. After the first chapter, she appears in the story but always through someone else's eyes. And, after I finished the book, I was left to wonder about some of the details. I suspect this is because this novel is actually a sequel. Therefore I always felt I was missing something.

In spite of its faults though, I did enjoy Four Souls. But I would suggest you read some of her earlier books in order to enjoy it more.

Yet another stellar novel from Louise Erdrich.......2004-08-31

I've read most of the author's works and while I would not say this is my favorite, I have to say that she has matured so much as an author over the years that this is a must read book. I particularly like how she shares imagery and concepts in this book without feeling the need to explain them to the non-Anishinaabe audience, and potentially interrupting the poetry of the work itself. - It was amazing how she brought back to mind things I knew and had forgotten, simply through the force of her writing. The greatest impact for me was the effect the book had even 4 days later - the themes of this book are both universal and incredible. Thank you for such an outstanding book!

A Star Made From Love.......2004-07-25

From Fleur's amazing journey into and out of the whiteman's world, to the creation of a dress solely from nature's materials contrasted with the building of a house with materials obtained through greed, destruction and death, to the quest to find a name for a son's spirit: this book is radiant.
It is a relatively short book, but it is full of the range of human emotions including the humor of love.

Nanapush, the tribal leader yet also foolish husband,carefully painstakingly carves a star out of an old bean can in an attempt to hide from his wife, Margaret, a trail of errors. He tells her the star fell from the skies, through the roof and floor.

"From outside, the sun, striking sudden from behind a cloud, then threw a fierce shaft of light in our direction. It slanted through the window and picked out the star in Margaret's hands. Marveling at it, she bent to examine it with a close eye. I smiled to see her, but the smile dropped off my face when with a huge gasp she squinted even closer and then slowly, slowly, with a dangerously changed expression held her miraculous find out to me.

"Put on your spectacles, old liar",she said in a sofly changed voice.

Immediately, I hooked them around my ears and in the burst of radiance I saw the raised letters I had missed in the tin, now the center of the star, which had marked the bottom of the can. Red Jacket Beans.............................
I saw something building in her, something gathering, a storm , and my heart sank down into my feet. But when it came, it was not the bitter scorching, not the fire I feared. It was not the horror of sarcasm. Not the scrape of reproach. Margaret did something she had never done before in response to one of my idiot transgressions. Margaret laughed."

A Fascinating and Enigmatic Tale .......2004-07-25

There is no revenge like success, as the saying goes, and Fleur Pillager is out for both. She adopts her mother's name, Four Souls, and sets foot on a mission to seek restitution from the robber baron who has stripped bare the Minnesota forests her Ojibwe ancestors called home.

As the scheme to avenge her family unfolds, Fleur proves to be no ordinary woman. She is so complex, in fact, that it takes several narrators to tell her story, a device that makes FOUR SOULS a fascinating and enigmatic tale of the myths, sorrows and passions of a vanishing civilization.

There is old Nanapush, tribal elder, who observes as Fleur launches her private incursion against the ailing World War I veteran, John James Mauser, lumber baron and social scion of Minneapolis society. Polly Elizabeth, Mr. Mauser's sister-in-law, who runs the household, hires Fleur as a housemaid and laundress. She seems efficient and is seemingly everywhere and nowhere, all at once. Little does Polly Elizabeth know how Fleur will change the lives of all within the walls of the Mauser mansion.

Fleur discovers that her nemesis is far too ill to thoroughly appreciate his demise at her hand, so she sets out to cure him of odd maladies from World War I wounds. Her tender mercies lead instead to marriage to Mauser, and as Polly Elizabeth says, "Nothing in the look of her and the ignorant silence told me she could possibly end up connected to me." Nor could Polly Elizabeth or John James Mauser ever imagine where that connection would lead.

FOUR SOULS evolves slowly and as magically as the mists on a summer morning pond. Louise Erdrich, who wrote the bestseller TRACKS, which is a precursor to FOUR SOULS, seems to know the minds, voices and ways of the Ojibwe Indians. The shift in narrative voice is sometimes confusing as the transitions are not always obvious, but clarity is restored as you fall into the cadence of the various characters. All are well defined and drawn, and FOUR SOULS haunts you with its aura of irony and fulfillment --- fulfillment that doesn't always come in the manner in which it is sought.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

The spirit and history .......2004-07-20

There are very few novels written about Indians with actual Indian authors. I believe Louise Erdrich to be the best. She not only tells a story that is witty, powerful, and compelling, but she draws the reader into the mind and culture of Indians, especially of the Chippewa of whom she writes. Fred Manfred and Oliver LaFarge, to mention two, have written great novels about Indians; and certainly Tony Hillerman has given us insight into the religion and life styles of the Southwestern Indians, especially the Navajos, but these writers are still outsiders. Erdrich is lyrical and brilliant and tells her story as an insider without bias or sentimentality. This book and others of hers should be required reading by every student of American History. Facts about treaties and population may be interesting in their own way, but they don't say anything about the soul of a people.

Average customer rating:

Oh, Deer Me
Broken Whiteheart
The power of love
This is my favorite Erdrich book
An Analytical Outlook to a Magic-Realistic Novel

The Antelope Wife: A Novel
Louise Erdrich
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060930071

Amazon.com

As Louise Erdrich's magical novel The Antelope Wife opens, a cavalry soldier pursues a dog with an Ojibwa baby strapped to its back. For days he follows them through "the vast carcass of the world west of the Otter Tail River" until finally the dog allows him to approach and handle the child--a girl, not yet weaned, who latches onto his nipples until, miraculously, they begin to give milk. In another kind of novel, this might be a metaphor. But this is the fictional world of Louise Erdrich, where myth is woven deeply into the fabric of everyday life. A famous cake tastes of grief, joy, and the secret ingredient: fear. The tie that binds the antelope wife to her husband is, literally, the strip of sweetheart calico he used to yoke her hand to his. Legendary characters sew beads into colorful patterns, and these patterns become the design of the novel itself.

The Antelope Wife centers on the Roys and the Shawanos, two closely related Ojibwa families living in modern-day Gakahbekong, or Minneapolis. Urban Indians of mixed blood, they are "scattered like beads off a necklace and put back together in new patterns, new strings," and Erdrich follows them through two failed marriages, a "kamikaze" wedding, and several tragic deaths. But the plot also loops and circles back, drawing in a 100-year-old murder, a burned Ojibwa village, a lost baby, several dead twins, and another baby nursed on father's milk.

The familiar Erdrich themes are all here--love, family, history, and the complex ways these forces both bind and separate the generations, stitching them into patterns as complex as beadwork. At least initially, this swirl of characters, narratives, time lines, and connections can take a little getting used to; several of the story lines do not match up until the book's conclusion. But in the end, Erdrich's lovely, lyrical language prevails, and the reader succumbs to the book's own dreamlike logic. As The Antelope Wife closes, Erdrich steps back to address readers directly for the first time, and the moment expands the book's elaborate patterns well beyond the confines of its pages. "Who is beading us?" she asks. "Who are you and who am I, the beader or the bit of colored glass sewn onto the fabric of the earth?... We stand on tiptoe, trying to see over the edge, and only catch a glimpse of the next bead on the string, and the woman's hand moving, one day, the next, and the needle flashing over the horizon." -- Mary Park, editor

Book Description

The Antelope Wife extends the branches of the families who populate Louise Erdrich's earlier novels, and once again, her unsentimental, unsparing writing captures the Native American sense of despair, magic, and humor. Rooted in myth and set in contemporary Minneapolis, this poetic and haunting story spans a century, at the center of which is a mysterious and graceful woman known as the Antelope Wife. Elusive, silent, and bearing a mystical link to nature, she embodies a complicated quest for love and survival that impacts lives in unpredictable ways. Her tale is an unpredictable ways. Her tale is an unforgettable tapestry of ancestry, fate, harrowing tragedy, and redemption, that seems at once modern and eternal.

Customer Reviews:

Oh, Deer Me.......2006-10-10

I have admired Erdrich's writing in the past---"Tracks" and "The Beet Queen"--so I was looking forward to reading another of her novels. I must say I was disappointed here. Though Erdrich, like N. Scott Momaday, has a highly poetical style and her pages are filled with beautiful images (which is certainly a positive characteristic), a novel after all needs to have a strong story line or a point. Beautiful sentences and poetic expressions do not make a story, even if spiced with magical realism, sex, recipes, and colorful beads. As a literary testimony to a section of Native American experience, THE ANTELOPE WIFE has great merit. But as a novel, in the company of all the novels of the world, I felt that in this case, Erdrich tried to stretch out her career and write the next book though her heart was not in it. Perhaps it was a bad time in her life. The novel felt to me as one written by a person "trying to be literary". She writes of the mixed and intertwined fates of all those people of the Anishinabe world---Indians, whites, men, women, strong and weak---like beads on a string. The Indians come out holding the short stick. Within this framework, individuals play out their fates, violence and love intermingling with mystery and mundane existence. The characters somehow do not rise above their initial characterizations. The women are stronger than the men for the most part: they endure while the men often fall into alcohol and despair. The author writes in graceful style, but not much depth. I felt---at the risk of sounding snotty---that THE ANTELOPE WIFE belongs more in the category of `chick-lit' than in `American literature'. I once read part of a novel by Amy Tan, but could not finish for similar reasons. I did read THE ANTELOPE WIFE in its entirety, because Erdrich's writing differs favorably from most other authors', but I grew tired of the soap opera quality of this story.

Broken Whiteheart .......2005-05-14

This is only the second book by Ms. Erdrich that I have read and the first was a collaberation with Michael Dorris. For me, this book came off as very bizarre (a man breastfeeding a baby) and depressing (betrayal, loneliness and death). But the thin line between love and hate running through the book is compelling. And I enjoy how Louise writes in the POV or about particular characters. She did it in Crown of Columbus and she does it here. I find myself "becoming" her characters as I read each chapter. And the use of the Okijbwa language peaks my curiosity into the culture and lifestyle of these people. I can't rave about the novel because it was so unsettling. But I did enjoy it. She is a talented writer and I can't wait to read her other books.

The power of love.......2003-04-30

Lousie Erdrich's writing wraps the reader in intricate strands of symbolism, characters and shifting time and place. Stories are woven, questions are raised and as time passes answered. The strands begin to straighten out and make sense. Re-reading the book to get it all straight is a treat and a gift. I will gladly settle into Erdrich's writing over authors who leave no question marks or connections to ponder any day.

The power, danger and wonder of intense love is but one of the journeys the reader will take in this book.

This is my favorite Erdrich book.......2001-07-10

This is definitely one of her best works yet. It is a spellbinding and powerful book.

An Analytical Outlook to a Magic-Realistic Novel.......2000-12-23

The couples, who are likely to become the parents of a little baby, first find a name for that sojourner even before he/she is born. This name usually has to carry positive meanings beneath it, such as the ones from religious, legendary themes which remind people of force ,power, durability etc... The reason is obvious: People all around the world -no matter where they are from or what religion they have etc... - name their children with names associated with strength, stability as they believe -at least want to believe- that those names bring the attribution of the meaning to their children.Naturally, in literature the influence of this belief can be seen. In the novel of Louise Erdrich The Antelope Wife, the protagonists (as there are multiple points of view, I mention here Protagonists) believe that there is a strong relationship between the names they possess and their destiny. The Antelope Wife's impact mostly stems from its different way of narrating. In most of the ordinary novels there is usually one protagonist. In this novel there are many important characters all of whom contribute to the plot. Yet the most vital character can be perceived as the Antelope Wife. Klaus Shawano at first sight, falls in love with her, feels himself compelled to be with her, and begins to follow her secretly. Stubbornly, Klaus keeps on following her, and he manages to catch her; yet she rejects to be with him, and he, not knowing how to make her stay "tie[s] her up" with sweetheart calico. (30). Here, he metaphorically ties her up to himself with sweetheart calico. At the end, Klaus unties her, that is to say, ends his obsessive love affair with her. Richard Whiteheart Beads' story is a bit tragic as his life was performed just the same way as the beadwork's. Richard's last name depends on a naming story,by which the scattered life of him is revealed. According to this story his family name - Whiteheart Beads -derives from the beadworks. In the course of time, the beadwork was scattered, similarly the life of Richard was scattered: "... Whiteheart Bead. That name went until Richard ended up with it" (240) . First, her wife Rozin leaves Richard for Frank Shawano. In the stupefaction of the shocking desertion of his wife, he accidentally causes his daughter Deanna to die. The two distress which come in a series profoundly deplores him. That is to say, his life was ruined just like the beadwork had been ruined, scattered... Thus, apparently, the Indian belief comes true: The name completely influenced the entire life of Richard Whiteheart Beads. The Ojibwa society in the novel also name the animals just like they name their children. The Windigo dog who represent intelligence in the book, manages to escape before they cook him in the stew pot to make soup, by using his ability of intelligence. As he manages to escape the stew pot, the owners of him name him as Almost Soup. The witty dog criticizes human beings: "In Ojibwa language, that is my name and I refuse to give it up for human mistakes or human triumphs" (81). The attempt to emphasize the significance of naming again strikes here, which determines Erdrich's Indian society.

The names of some characters have been changed throughout the novel and these alterations of names have a great deal of contribution to the novel. As the novel is mostly based on dialectical adjustments, the alteration of names have a profound impact on the climax of the events. The one whose name have been subject to these alterations most frequently is the Blue Prairie Woman. Although the name changes, the characters' name still take place in further parts at the story, which means that the new name does not replace the former name. The old name remains active. In my opinion, Erdrich tries to conduct the sense of her concept of dialectical adjustments; the old concept remains even if new one comes out. Erdrich, throughout the novel, uses a lot of Indian words. The usage of these words give the sense of beadwork which also takes part in the novel; as one critic claims the bead-sewing twins are "create[ing] the patterns of the world" (Martin) . The Indian words among the English sentences seem to match thoroughly the beads among the patterns. That is, as the twins create the patterns of the world, the Indian words such as "nibi", "Daashkikaa" etc... create the pattern of the novel -or in other words- maintain the completeness of the novel. When examined attentively, Louise Erdrich implies a figurative meaning using the Indian name of Minneapolis: Gakahbekong. She ,consciously using the Indian name, tends to contrast the permanency of the Indian culture and temporality of Minneapolis, the name which belongs to Newly adopted culture. For, in Erdrich's literature, Gakahbekong represents the old, permanent generation whereas Minneapolis represents the new, the changing and the temporary. Although time changes everything in the world it can do nothing to the real, permanent,special ones such as Gakahbekong. No matter how much the appearance of Gakahbekong has transformed, it still contains the spiritual values inside itself. As I stated above, in Louise Erdrich's magical novel The Antelope Wife, the people believe that there is a strong relation between the names they possess and their destiny. Finally, it is clear that they are right about their belief in names as throughout the story, the names have influenced their lives. Almost for all the characters, their names have an important influence on their lives. In the beginning I mentioned that every society pays attention to names, nevertheless in the Ojibwa society it is a little more emphasized. The names have a great contribution to the rendering of the meaning. Specifically, the place, Gakahbekong, plays a significant role since its meaning serves as a symbolical explanation to the general meaning. With a lot of motives beneath the mysterious characters, two complex family relations, a time which consists of lives of three generations and the important characters like Zosie Roy, Antelope Wife, Richard Whiteheart Beads etc... the novel serves as a guide for the social importance of the names in the Indian society. Finally, as the paper dealt with the naming of characters and the influence of both naming and the alteration of the names to the plot, it helped to reveal the underlying motives in the novel of Erdrich, The Antelope Wife.

Edward S. Curtis: The Women
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Edward S. Curtis: The Women
Christopher Cardozo , Louise Erdrich , and Anne Makepeace
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0821228951

Book Description

The first collection of Edward S. Curtis's stunning, evocative, and hugely popular portraits of Native American women-with never-before-published images. These indelible portraits of Native Americans by Edward S. Curtis, made at the dawn of the 20th century, have become among the most avidly collected, published, and sought-after emblems of early encounters with American Indian life. But not until now has there been a book on Curtis's photographs of women. This book, the follow-up to Edward S. Curtis:

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