The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Joe, a 13 year old boy and his family are members of the Chippewa Nation, living on the reservation. His father is a judge in the tribal judicial system. When his mother, Gerlaldine becomes a victim of a violent crime, a search for justice on all levels of society begins.
Geraldine withdraws to her darkened bedroom. Joe is left with out a mother for reasons he doesn't understand. His father is left without a wife and companion, replaced by a crime he is desperate to solve. Joe seeks comfort in his friends and family on the reservation, teenagers and adults, young and old, all who help him to understand a small piece of his anger. He is left however, to put the pieces of the puzzle together on his own.
Sometimes I found the story difficult to follow. The story begins in 1988, with Joe as the narrator. Throughout the book, we are thrust into the future to see Joe as an adult, married man with children and then we are whipped quickly back into past again. He is older and wiser but to me he seemed like a different person than the Joe at 13, I adored. We are all different than in our teenage years but I wasn't quite sure if I liked the grown up Joe.
The Round House is intense. The window into tribal life is interesting and engaging. The insight the story gives into racism and hate crimes in this country is enlightening. Don't pick up this title thinking it will be a light, summer read, it's not. Read with an open mind and be ready to learn about other cultures, racial division, love of family and relish in the utter craziness of boys experiencing puberty. You won't be sorry you took the time to lose yourself in The Round House.
Joe, a 13 year old boy and his family are members of the Chippewa Nation, living on the reservation. His father is a judge in the tribal judicial system. When his mother, Gerlaldine becomes a victim of a violent crime, a search for justice on all levels of society begins.
Geraldine withdraws to her darkened bedroom. Joe is left with out a mother for reasons he doesn't understand. His father is left without a wife and companion, replaced by a crime he is desperate to solve. Joe seeks comfort in his friends and family on the reservation, teenagers and adults, young and old, all who help him to understand a small piece of his anger. He is left however, to put the pieces of the puzzle together on his own.
Sometimes I found the story difficult to follow. The story begins in 1988, with Joe as the narrator. Throughout the book, we are thrust into the future to see Joe as an adult, married man with children and then we are whipped quickly back into past again. He is older and wiser but to me he seemed like a different person than the Joe at 13, I adored. We are all different than in our teenage years but I wasn't quite sure if I liked the grown up Joe.
The Round House is intense. The window into tribal life is interesting and engaging. The insight the story gives into racism and hate crimes in this country is enlightening. Don't pick up this title thinking it will be a light, summer read, it's not. Read with an open mind and be ready to learn about other cultures, racial division, love of family and relish in the utter craziness of boys experiencing puberty. You won't be sorry you took the time to lose yourself in The Round House.
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