LaRose (novel)

LaRose is a novel by American author Louise Erdrich, published in 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers.[1] The book was reviewed positively by multiple publications, including The New York Times,[1] The Kansas City Star,[2] Winnipeg Free Press,[3] The Philadelphia Inquirer,[4] The Washington Post,[5] The A.V. Club,[6] The Sydney Morning Herald,[7] USA Today,[8] and The Chronicle Herald,[9] and won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction. The novel features the same setting as Erdrich's 2012 novel The Round House.[3]

LaRose
First edition cover, 2016
AuthorLouise Erdrich
Cover artistAza Erdrich
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreNovel
PublisherHarper
Publication date
10 May 2016
Media typePrint (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages384 pp (First edition, hardcover)
ISBN0-06-227702-2
OCLC918994415
LC ClassPS3555.R42 L37 2016
WebsiteOfficial website

Plot summary

LaRose is set in North Dakota, on an Ojibwa reservation in the "era of George W. Bush and 9/11."[3] The novel's protagonist is LaRose Iron, a young Native American boy.[3] His father, Landreaux Iron, accidentally shoots LaRose's best friend and neighbor, Dusty Ravich, also 5 years old, in a hunting accident, when the buck Landreaux had aimed at suddenly moved from in front of the boy. Dusty's parents, Peter and Nola, become devastated. To compensate for their loss, following an ancient custom, LaRose's parents, Landreaux and Emmaline, give him to Dusty's family after speaking with a priest and visiting a sweat lodge, to find a way to resolve their guilt.

While Peter and Nola are initially reluctant to accept LaRose into their family, perceiving it as an act of betrayal towards their own dead son, they soon warm to him.[5] LaRose later helps protect Nola as she deals with suicidal ideation.[2]

The story also introduces the stories of several of LaRose's ancestors, who were sent to residential schools and endured many traumatic experiences.[3][4] The first person in the family to be named LaRose, an Ojibwe woman, was a young girl in 1839[1] when her mother sold her at a trading post.[8] She is raped and later participates in the murder of her rapist. After her death, her remains are stolen by "white 'scientists.' "[1]

Critical reception

The book received primarily favorable reviews. USA Today gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars,[8] while The Sydney Morning Herald described it as a "page-turner,"[7] The Kansas City Star described it as "brutally beautiful,"[2] and The A.V. Club described it as "everything you want a novel to be."[6] LaRose was described by The Washington Post as a "masterly tale of grief and love"[5] and by The Philadelphia Inquirer as a "brilliant, subtle exploration of tragic histories."[4]

Awards and honors

References
  1. Gordon, Mary (2016-05-16). "'LaRose,' by Louise Erdrich". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  2. "Louise Erdrich's 'LaRose' is a poignant tale of how one tragedy binds two families". kansascity. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  3. "Lovely LaRose". www.winnipegfreepress.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  4. "'LaRose' by Louise Erdrich: Brilliant, subtle exploration of tragic histories". Philly.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  5. Charles, Ron (2016-05-09). "Louise Erdrich's 'LaRose': A gun accident sets off a masterly tale of grief and love". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  6. "Louise Erdrich's LaRose is everything you want a novel to be". www.avclub.com. 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  7. "Louise Erdrich's LaRose is a page-turner that reflects her experience". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  8. "LaRose". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  9. "In LaRose, Erdrich looks at penance". The Chronicle Herald. 2016-05-15. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
  10. "Louise Erdrich, Matthew Desmond Lead National Book Critics Circle Winners". NPR. March 17, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
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