For years, I heard wonderful things about novels by author
Louise Erdrich, who won the National Book Award for The Round House. I was intrigued by descriptions of her latest
novel, LaRose, and finally had a
chance to enjoy it on audio at the end of the year. I was absolutely entranced
by this moving, original novel about families and community.
The story takes place in a modern Native American community
in North Dakota. In the summer of 1999, Landreaux Iron is out hunting for deer
when he mistakenly shoots and kills his neighbor (and friend)’s five-year old
son, Dusty. His own five-year old son, LaRose, was Dusty’s best friend, and the
two boys often played together. Everyone, in both families, is devastated.
Landreaux, who is a recovering alcoholic, is particularly
horrified by what he’s done and finally sees a path forward in a sweat lodge
vision: to enact an ancient Ojibwe tradition and pay for his mistake in kind.
He and his wife, Emmaline, give their son, LaRose, to their neighbors, Peter
and Nola, to replace their lost son. Now, both families are full of grief and
loss.
Little by little, though, LaRose begins to heal them. His
new adoptive mother, Nola, suffers from depression, but caring for LaRose seems
to help. His new teen sister, Maggie, is thrilled to have him in the house and
enlists him to help her keep Nola from her darkest depths. His birth family
still misses him horribly, but over time, healing takes place and LaRose
himself comes to see what his role should be for both families.
This is an incredible novel, full of emotional depth and
intricate relationships; I can see why Erdrich is such an acclaimed writer.
Most remarkably, this isn’t just a story of these two families but of an entire
community. Perspective switches not only among the members of the main two
families but also among others in the community: the local priest, Landreaux’s
childhood friend who blames him for his misfortunes, Emmaline’s mother (who
LaRose is named after), and more. Within the families, we hear from not only
the four parents but also Maggie and LaRose’s original siblings. There are even
chapters going back to 1839, where we meet the original LaRose and learn of the
family’s long history.
Erdrich weaves all of these different points of view into
one cohesive, moving story that is both about an extraordinary tragedy and its
aftermath and also about ordinary life. It is historical fiction, family drama,
and coming-of-age stories all rolled into one. I loved every moment listening
to this audio book, which is beautifully produced and makes you feel a part of
the story. LaRose is incredibly
compelling – its characters feel like old friends by the end. Although it
starts with a tragedy, it is really about healing and moving forward and life, in
all its messy glory.
384 pages, Harper
Harper Audio
You
can buy the book through
Bookshop.org,
where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all
indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local:
Or you can order LaRose from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.
LA ROSE is on my list of books to read in 2017 (or better yet, listen to) and I am more excited for it than ever. I loved ROUNDHOUSE. This sounds just as good.
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful on audio, Anne - an excellent narrator. Now I want to read The Round House, too!
DeleteBoy this sounds good and also as if it was a difficult read. I'll add it to my list for this year!
ReplyDeleteYou're right - it is difficult at times, but the focus is really on healing, so it is mostly positive - the bad stuff happens in the first chapter!
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