Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* This collection spanning 30 years brings together for the first time the inventive Erdrich's short stories, many of which provided the groundwork for her dozen novels. Of the 36 stories included, most have been previously published, but there are also 6 new tales. The stories are laid out in chronological order and give readers the full breadth of Erdrich's meticulously drawn world, one on a par with Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County, although for Erdrich, the theme of endurance takes on a special significance, placed as it is within the context of an Ojibwa reservation in North Dakota, where Native Americans struggle mightily to prevent the decimation of their culture. Like Faulkner, Erdrich combines a supple, poetic style with a vividly realized setting and unforgettable characters, often setting up complex, interlocking narratives. Readers familiar with her novels will be stunned once again by the sheer virtuosity of her storytelling. Here, on rich display, are characters from the principal families in Erdrich's world as well as those who haunt them: sadistic Sister Leopolda, the pie-making Kashpaw sisters and their alcoholic men, enigmatic Fleur Pillager, the bingo-playing Lipsha Morrissey, and aged and comical wise man Nanapush and his stubborn wife, Margaret. Erdrich effortlessly conveys her characters' earthy humor, drunken despair, and ever-present spirituality, making their struggles at once particular and universal. What makes Erdrich such a mesmerizing storyteller, though, is the way she so fearlessly explores and expresses human emotion. A must-have for serious fiction collections.--Wilkinson, Joanne Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Masculine women, gorgeous sports cars rich with family history, rugged plains, river currents, stubbornness and entropy wend through this spellbinding collection of ten new and 26 previously published stories from prolific Midwestern author Erdrich (The Plague of Doves). Many of Erdrich's protagonists are American Indians (Chipewa, Kapshaw, and Ojibwe feature prominently) of mixed ancestry (French, German, etc.) and difficult means. Erdrich's character-driven stories are rooted in the mystery of the everyday, stretched across the bones of folklore but cured in the brine of modern life: "as an Indian," Gerry finds it "difficult. to retain the good humor of his ancestors in these modern circumstances"; another protagonist concludes that "the only interesting Indian is dead, or dying by falling backwards off a horse." Absurdity and a strained sense of humor keep Eldrich's closely observed tales fresh, making it clear that the life of an "interesting Indian" takes many shapes. An exquisite anthology, this volume should cement Erdrich's reputation as one of contemporary America's best short fiction writers. (Jan.) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Review by Library Journal Review
Erdrich, the author of 12 novels (e.g., A Plague of Doves) as well as volumes of poetry and children's books, presents her first collection of short stories-30 years' worth of both previously published and new tales. Most of the protagonists are Native American, and Erdrich writes equally well in both male and female voices. First-person narration makes this collection more intimate. And although some situations may be far removed from readers, it is easy to find relatable aspects. Erdrich uses both comedy and poignant realities throughout-sometimes within the same story-to create realistic plots that move the stories along briskly. Although organized chronologically, the stories can be read alone in any order. An enjoyable collection best suited to libraries where short story collections are popular.-Leann Restaino, Girard, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Erdrich (The Plague of Doves, 2008, etc.) has created such a complex fictional universe, with mythic characters reappearing in different guises in her numerous novels, that these 36 stories, even those previously unpublished, resonate like favorite melodies. All the old favorites are here. Sorting out who's who and keeping track of Erdrich's generational time frame is never easy, but the chronological order of the stories helps. "Naked Woman Playing Chopin" stands on its own as a moving, erotic depiction of music as love. The more contemporary "Hasta Namaste, Baby" exposes the secret, unspoken compromises of marriage as a man who has hidden his infertility from his wife lives with her betrayal when she becomes pregnant. "Anna" concerns a woman who moves in with two brothers, a Jules and Jim scenario with a twist. Told in mini-chapters, "Father's Milk" has the wide scope of a surreal novella. A white soldier attacking an Ojibwe village saves an Indian baby he then miraculously nurses with his own milk and raises lovingly as his daughter. When he marries and has a new baby, she finds her freedom and ends up roaming with the antelope. Not exactly realism, yet strangely realistic mythmaking. Erdrich requires a degree of commitment not every reader will make, but fans will find that these stories distill her body of work to its essence. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
