Louise Erdrich's LaRose
Louise Erdrich is one of my all time favorite authors, so I've been savoring this one the past few days--though I think I could easily have read it in one sitting. It centers on two families, neighbors and friends; one day, while out hunting, the father of one family shoots the little boy of the other family--and decides he should give them his own little boy to make amends, impacting both families in expected and unexpected ways. It's also a portrait of the community--lots of characters drifting in and out of the narrative, which makes it feel a little busy at times, but also makes it feel more alive. And there are some teenage girls in this book who are just amazing. I would give this book an A based on their scenes alone (the titular LaRose is pretty great too). Erdrich tackles so many things--grief, loss, love, coming of age, sexual assault, bitterness, revenge, storytelling, family, war, etc--and then just sticks the landing in a way that made me want to high five someone. I read the last page like three times. It just really resonated with me. A for sure.
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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in May.
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