The Round House: A Novel (urspr publ 2012; utgåvan 2013)

Erdrich's tale is compelling, violent, traumatic, poignant, and hilariously funny all at once. This is the favorite novel of hers that I've read so far. It begs some interesting questions about local justice (like To Kill a Mockingbird) and asks us to consider how the consequences of our actions follow us throughout our lives. ( )

This is one of the best books I've read, but it absolutely destroyed me, in part because it reminded me of a situation a friend of mine was going through. It is a coming-of-age story about a Native community in North Dakota. The main character's mother is violently raped, and enters a dark, deep depression. The boy and his father go on a quest to find his mother's attacker and bring her justice. It is a story about how White law enforcement and the White justice system interacts with the Native populations, and about what is life is like on a modern reservation.

The book made my cry multiple times, but it is so filled with love and growth that I could not put it down. Highly recommended, if you have the capacity for something that heavy. ( )

Great Narration for Coming of Age on the Rez
Review of the HarperAudio edition (2012)

I've been a fan of Canadian actor Gary Farmer ever since his performance as gentle giant Philbert Bono in the film Powwow Highway (1989). So when I saw The Round House offered as an Audible Daily Deal with Farmer's narration I snapped it right up. Having the image of the naïve but determined Philbert in mind, it required no effort to imagine Farmer's voice as that of 13-year old Joe Coutts telling his coming of age story in the context of seeking justice for his mother's assault.

The only downside to the audiobook edition is that it does not include the author's afterward. ( )

I registered this book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14428544

I admit to going in with the idea that Erdich was a "women's fiction writer". By which I mean a writer of stories about women and women's issues, usually with humor. I don't tend to like those types of books, but I felt it only fair to read before making too many assumptions.

Turns out she's a writer who writes a lot about Native American life today, in a way that should appeal to men and women equally.

I read this several months ago so don't remember details. But I remember some scenes vividly. Geraldine Coutts is attacked, and finds it difficult to adjust to everyday life afterwards. Her withdrawal affects her son Joe and her husband Bazil, a tribal judge. Bazil looks for justice for Geraldine while Joe tries to help in other ways.

The investigation into who attacked Geraldine leads to the Round House, an Ojibwe sacred space. What takes place there is frightening and memorable.

Beyond the individual story we learn of the differences in tribal law and state law, and what needs to change. Well written and compelling. ( )

The Round House opens with Joe and his father finishing a job in the garden, wondering why Joe’s mother Geraldine hasn’t yet returned from an appointment. Assuming car trouble has left her stranded, they head out to find her and bring her home. But the situation is much worse than they feared: Geraldine was sexually assaulted. Because Joe and his family are Ojibwe, their case barely attracts the attention of local authorities. But Joe’s father Bazil is a tribal judge with years of experience litigating cases within the Ojibwe community and between their community and the white establishment, and so begins his own investigation. Joe is only 13, so Bazil is reluctant to share details with him. This changes when Joe, working on his own, discovers valuable evidence.

But this book is much, much more than an investigation into a criminal act. It’s the story of a family trying desperately to hold themselves together while they heal. It’s the story of a young boy coming of age, hanging out with his friends, getting into trouble, and resisting his parents’ attempts to control him. And it’s the story of the larger Ojibwe community’s struggle to maintain independence in the face of discriminatory government policy. These threads all tie together into a powerful tale of love, loss, and hope. ( )