Louise Erdrich, The Round House

Amanda Morris (Kutztown University of Pennsylvania)

Ed. by Renate Eigenbrod, University of Manitoba
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.6: Indigenous Writing and Culture of North America - United States.
Vol. editors: Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Sarah Henzi (Simon Fraser University), Padraig Kirwan (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

First circulation or publication Dec 2012

Places

United States (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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The Round House

(2012), Louise Erdrich’s fourteenth novel, is a character-driven suspense narrative set on the same North Dakota Ojibwe reservation where she has placed numerous other novels. The story is part coming-of-age for 13-year-old protagonist, Joe Coutts, part detective novel, part revenge narrative, and all Ojibwe seek justice for Joe’s mother’s rape in the community’s sacred space, the round house. Ojibwe traditions, stories, legal struggles, and culture take center stage in this novel that sheds an unblinking light on the extreme difficulty of obtaining justice on reservations, especially for Native women. Erdrich’s straightforward prose and storytelling mastery expose readers to an unfamiliar world where the pursuit of sovereignty is inextricably and sometimes…

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1620 words

Citation: Morris, Amanda. "The Round House". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 February 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35060, accessed 20 April 2024.]

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