Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Bookish Thoughts: LaRose by Louise Erdrich

Where the reservation boundary invisibly bisected a stand of deep brush--chokecherry, popple, stunted oak--Landreaux waited. ~ Opening of LaRose 


LaRose by Louise Erdrich
Harper, 2016
Fiction; 372 pgs

In a split second, everything can change. Landreaux Irons had been aiming for the deer when he pulled the trigger. Instead, he shot the five year old son (Dusty) of his best friend and neighbor. In this heart-wrenching novel about two families filled with grief, Louise Erdrich explores loss, justice and forgiveness.

Erdrich's writing is beautiful, sweeping me up into her story set at the turn of the twenty-first century in North Dakota. Turning to Ojibwe tribe tradition, Landreaux offers his own five year old son, LaRose, to the Ravich family, to atone for his taking the life of their only son. The grieving father, Peter Ravich, wants to say no, but his wife, drowning in her own loss, accepts. To be in the shoes of either mother was heartbreaking. I cannot even imagine the pain Nola was experiencing, to lose her son to such a senseless death, and then for Emmaline to give up her beloved son to her estranged step-sister.

It is through this tragedy and this act of atonement that the two families become even more closely tied. My heart ached for LaRose, pushed away by his own family and sent to live with a family deep in grief. I felt for Maggie, Dusty's sister, who was put in such a difficult situation--not only grieving the loss of her brother, but to be a brother to LaRose--and to hold up her mother who was falling apart in every direction. Maggie's recklessness scared me. She was so lost. LaRose grounded her in a way as he did everyone. He gave Nola purpose and Peter hope that perhaps their family would be okay.

Landreaux, a recovering drug and alcohol addict, feels so much guilt over what he's done. His wife suffers in her own way. As to their children. I really liked LaRose's sisters. Through it all, even as the sadness threatened to overcome everyone, they still managed to see the light.

Outside but intertwined in the story of these two families is that of Father Travis who seems lost in his own way and yet a significant support for the families and Romeo who holds a childhood grudge against Landreaux and only wants to ruin the man's life the way Landreaux ruined his. There is also the story of the first LaRose, which is shared at intervals, through flashbacks, in the novel, connecting the past with the present, tradition with the new. LaRose is a name that runs in Emmaline's family and is highly regarded.

This novel could easily have been about revenge, and yet the focus is more on the characters finding peace within themselves and with each other. There is so much anger and sadness. And yet, as time passes, the families begin to heal. Their shared love and bond with LaRose help bring about forgiveness, both of others and themselves.

By the time I finished the last page of Erdrich's novel, I had tears in my eyes. What a beautiful novel. Tragedy turned to hope. I still worry about Maggie though.


You can learn more about Louise Erdrich and her books on Facebook


© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

18 comments:

  1. Sounds like a fascinating and heartbreaking book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eustacia - It was quite moving. I am so glad I got the chance to read it.

      Delete
  2. I'm glad that at least it ended with forgiveness and healing and hope. What a terrible accident and remarkable act of atonement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenclair - I don't know if I could do the same thing in that situation. My heart really ached for all the characters in this one.

      Delete
  3. I'm almost in tears just reading your review. I'm not sure I could handle the actual book. It sounds incredibly powerful and wonderfully done but probably not for me. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katherine - Thank you! This was a hard one to read at times; I can't even imagine what these families had to go through.

      Delete
  4. Such a sad story but I'm glad there's forgiveness and hope in the end. This is one of those books which I'll read it when the mood calls for it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melody - It was a very hopeful story in the end, despite everything everyone had gone through. I am so glad I read this one.

      Delete
  5. Well! Still undecided. On reading the first sentence of the synopsis I thought this wasn't one for me and yet all throughout your review I found myself wavering.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tracy - Maybe read a few other reviews to get a better idea of whether you would like this one. It was right up my alley, but I knew that from the start.

      Delete
  6. This sounds like such an emotional read. I couldn't even imagine going through something like that.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Carole - It was emotional, and, like you, I can't imagine going through something like that either. I hope I never have to.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LaRose sounds like an emotional and moving read, especially since the focus is more on finding peace and healing. Great review post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Naida - Thank you! Yes, it was both emotional and moving. I liked that the focus on the end was about healing and forgiveness.

      Delete
  9. Erdrich is a writer I keep meaning to read and just have not gotten to. This sounds like such and emotional read and one not to miss. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Iliana - Thank you! Her books have always intimidated me. If it hadn't been for the subscription box and my getting it that way, I don't know if I would have braved one of her books. I'm so glad I did.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to visit Musings of a Bookish Kitty. Don't be shy! I would love to hear from you. Due to a recent increase in spam, I will be moderating all comments for the foreseeable future. Please be patient with me as it may take a few hours before I am able to approve your comment.