Friday, November 29, 2024 – Native Bookshelf: “The Mighty Red” by Louise Erdrich

Native America Calling

The title of Pulitzer Prize-winning Ojibwe writer Louise Erdrich latest book refers to the north-flowing river along the North Dakota-Minnesota border. It’s the geography of The Mighty Red that stretches in all directions from the small town loves and losses that Erdrich’s characters inhabit. Readers follow the teenage Ojibwe protagonist Kismet Poe as she navigates race, class, and an uncertain economy. Along the way, we learn how bison bones were once used to turn beets into sugar. It’s all woven together with Erdrich’s uniquely exquisite prose. We talk with Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) about her newest novel.