The Mighty Red

by Louise Erdrich

Dedication To those who love birds and defend their place on earth

The Lord’s ivy, or ground ivy, creeping charlie, thrives under the leaves of other plants and goes wherever it is not wanted.

People came in from five to five thirty for a dinner/happy hour, then the meeting started at six. Bev called the meeting to order, a tradition because the meeting was at her house.

She loved Hugo with that superb kind of love a mother has for a male child, a love that is deeper and more pure for knowing that he’ll more than likely turn out a fool.

In places, the Red River topsoil had originally gone down to sixty feet.

Bringing her back from town, he had driven with batshit insouciance.

He had no idea how difficult it was to leave someone who desperately needs you.

‘Suicide always leaves someone else holding your pain,’ said Ichor.

The cult had rejected him for being a Catholic because they didn’t accept people who already belonged to a cult.