Erdrich weaves the history of a small town in North Dakota, where over the years, the experiences of Native Americans and whites have tangled in a sometimes violent web. Some stories are more engaging and immediately grabbing than others, especially those of Holy Track who was lynched as a boy and of Marn Wolde, a woman with a passion for snakes who runs away with a preacher (who in turn develops a dangerous cult). The chapters and voices unite to create a common history of the area. Erdrich's writing is beautiful and seems to hang on the edge of magic realism at times, creating an often brutal and haunting narrative.