Book #12 of 20 new ones – I’m strolling right along! I just finished The Round House by Louise Erdrich. It takes place on a reservation in North Dakota in the 1980s. A tribe struggles with holding onto tradition while dealing with very modern day issues – a bad economy, alcoholism, rape, and murder. The law is a different world on tribal land and there is confusion as to whose law rules the land – tribal or state government.
The story is told from the perspective of a teenage boy. He and his friends have nothing to do in the summer but get into trouble and cause trouble. There’s mystery, crime, adventure, emotion, and humor. I enjoyed the tribal aspects, which the author obviously did plenty of research for, but sometimes there were too long of tangents of old stories that didn’t always move the plot forward. I’d give it 4 stars and would recommend it – especially if you want something a little different!