A friend of mine lent me this book over two years ago saying I had to read it - he loved it and was certain I would too.

I picked it up and started reading it many, many times. More than I can count. And while I really enjoyed Erdrich's style of writing - it's wonderfully composed - for some reason I was never able to get hooked and would let myself trail off. By the time I returned to the book, I had forgotten the key characters and their relationships which is why I felt compelled to start over again and again.

But, finally, I decided I was going to finish it once and for all. I finally read the whole thing over the course of a weekend, and I found I really did enjoy it after all. The overall story is a bit slow... in fact, the book is more like a collection of short vignettes that eventually tie together in surprising ways. Some stories captivated me more than others, and some characters I really yearned to learn more about, and others less.

There were so many characters over so many generations, that I almost wished there was a family tree to consult, because the network of characters and how they are all related is actually quite important to the story. I tried to keep track in my head, but I got confused from time to time which made the finale less impacting, I think. It wasn't until I skipped back to earlier chapters to recall a character's story that some of the later events made more sense to me.

But I really did enjoy the book and the writing - it's quite a fascinating tale about a Native American family set in a small town in North Dakota. A terrible crime serves as a backdrop for all the town's inhabitants and casts a shadow over their histories and relationships.

I'm glad I followed through and finished this book... it was a good read!