Scott F reviewed The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
Don't be deceived by the setting, this book is about much more
4 stars
My first Erdrich. I enjoyed it and will read more. This novel is trying to do a lot of things, and it mostly succeeds! It's about love of books; ghosts; Covid-19; policing; incarceration; and holding onto Indigenous identity in a settler society, all interspersed with plenty of wit to balance out the grim moments.
This was discounted at my local bookstore as a remainder, which makes me suspect sales have dropped off because people don't want to revisit 2020 in a society that has seemed eager these past few years to forget both the racial justice demands of that summer and the lessons about community care from the pandemic. But for that very reason, I appreciated revisiting those events; and the book is also about much more.
Occasionally, the novel's devices for withholding information to create suspense feel too obvious, straining the suspension of disbelief. Overall, a well-told and intricately …
My first Erdrich. I enjoyed it and will read more. This novel is trying to do a lot of things, and it mostly succeeds! It's about love of books; ghosts; Covid-19; policing; incarceration; and holding onto Indigenous identity in a settler society, all interspersed with plenty of wit to balance out the grim moments.
This was discounted at my local bookstore as a remainder, which makes me suspect sales have dropped off because people don't want to revisit 2020 in a society that has seemed eager these past few years to forget both the racial justice demands of that summer and the lessons about community care from the pandemic. But for that very reason, I appreciated revisiting those events; and the book is also about much more.
Occasionally, the novel's devices for withholding information to create suspense feel too obvious, straining the suspension of disbelief. Overall, a well-told and intricately textured story with many comic moments.
Also: first ever shoutout I've seen in print to my favorite Minneapolis cafe, Hard Times.
