The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse-Buddy Read

[Jalilah]

This thread is for The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
There will just be one thread for this "Buddy Read" so please hide your spoilers.
This is how to mark spoilers:
< spoiler> text goes here < /spoiler>
When you write it don't leave any space and then you will have: (view spoiler)[this is a spoiler (hide spoiler)]!

[Shomeret]

Have you read other Ojibwe books by Louise Erdrich? Some reviews say that you should read others first in order to understand the backgrounds of some characters. I didn't find this to be true. When I read this book, I had read other Ojibwe books by Erdrich, but I had read them years before and forgotten the details.

[Jalilah]

Shomeret wrote: "Have you read other Ojibwe books by Louise Erdrich? Some reviews say that you should read others first in order to understand the backgrounds of some characters. I didn't find this to be true. Wh..."

Thanks for pointing this out! The only other book I've read from Erdrich is The Antelope Wife. I just looked up her author page on Goodreads and there is no mention of Ojibwe books or which ones they are. Are they part of a series?
I am currently reading Manitous: The Spiritual World Of The Ojibway by Basil Johnston who is also Objibwe. It's about their mythology and spiritual beliefs.

[Leann]

Time isn't linear in Erdrich's work, at least in my view, so reading out of order shouldn't matter. These characters are in several other of her books, though they don't seem to be a true series.

[Shomeret]

As Leann says, time isn't linear in Erdrich's books. But yes, there are characters in a number of books that come from the same family of Ojibwe.

[Jalilah]

Here is a quite extensive biography of Louise Erdrich
http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...

Re the Ojibwe novels, here they are refered to as the "Argus" series.
"Erdrich's second novel in the series, The Beet Queen, published in 1986, covers a 40-year span beginning in 1932. Through characters like orphans Karl and Mary Adare and Celestine James and her daughter, Erdrich explores the negotiated interactions between the worlds of whites, half-breeds, and Native Americans. She followed this with a prequel, Tracks. Gleaned from the manuscript of the first novel she had ever started, Tracks explores the tensions between Native American spirituality and Catholicism. Erdrich continued the "Argus" series with The Bingo Palace, Tales of Burning Love, The Antelope Wife, and The Last Report on Miracles at Little No Horse.
Many of the characters in Erdrich's books grow and develop over time in successive novels. Katy Read in the Globe & Mail wrote, "Erdrich's characters do seem to have lives of their own - lives and histories and intricate relationships that meander in and out of nearly all her books."
For example, In the Last Report on Miracles at Little No Horse, a finalist for the National Book Award, Father Damian Modeste, first introduced in Love Medicine, returns. The Father's secret, it unfolds, is that he is really a former nun, Agnes DeWitt, who, through a series of events, ended up posing as a Catholic priest. Agnes spends half a century ministering to the people of an Objibwe reservation and hiding the fact that she is actually a woman."


Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...

[Jalilah]

Love Medicine is the first.

[Melanti]

I also have only read The Antelope Wife which I liked quite a bit. I've always meant to go back and read some more but never quite got around to it.

I forgot to put a hold on this until Saturday, so now I'll have to wait until next week to go pick it up.

[Leann]

Jalilah wrote: "Here is a quite extensive biography of Louise Erdrich
http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...

Re the Ojibwe novels, here they are refered to as the "Argus" series.
"Erdrich's sec..."

This is a great resource. Thanks, Jalilah! Argus series, who knew!? I seem to already have Father Damian's secret in my head. Wondering if this is because it is revealed in Love Medicine, which I read many years ago, or Last Report, which I partially read while camped out in my favorite bookstore (also many years ago). Guess I'll find out soon!

[Jalilah]

Leann wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Here is a quite extensive biography of Louise Erdrich
http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...

Re the Ojibwe novels, here they are refered to as the "Argus" series..."

I just saw you rated Love Medicine 5 stars Leann. I will have to read it!
How many have you read from this series?

[Leann]

I've read Love Medicine, Tracks, Antelope Wife, and maybe half of Last Report. All are swimming around in my distant memory. Love Medicine was my first Erdrich, I pulled it from a college lit. syllabus, and was hooked!

[Leann]

My question about the reveal was answered pretty quickly in this book.

[Jalilah]

Also from the link I posted above, I found it very interesting that it was Erdrich own Grandfather who in many ways influenced her depiction of Father Damian's characters;
"Erdrich attended a Catholic school in Wahpeton. Her grandfather, Petrice Gourneau, taught her about culture and religion; tribal chair of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, he worshiped the traditional Ojibwa religion while at the same time was a devout Catholic. Her grandfather's example inspired Erdrich's creation of the character Father Damien who appears in many of her novels

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...

I wonder what made her decide that father Damian be a woman? The story would also have been interesting enough had he been a man. I find the fact that he's actually a woman gives the story a surreal over the top quality.

[Shomeret]

Jalilah wrote: "Also from the link I posted above, I found it very interesting that it was Erdrich own Grandfather who in many ways influenced her depiction of Father Damian's characters;
"Erdrich attended a Cat..."

I think that it reveals women's hidden history. There were more women passing as men than we realize because of lack of freedom and opportunity for women. I definitely don't think it's over the top. I think it's actually more possible for a woman to pass as a man in an environment where people don't expose their bodies to others at all because it's sinful. The Catholic Church has a number of stories of female monks who were not discovered until their deaths. See this article at http://www.academia.edu/2642602/The_V.... There are other articles on the subject if you search for women disguised as men in monasteries.

[Jalilah]

Shomeret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Also from the link I posted above, I found it very interesting that it was Erdrich own Grandfather who in many ways influenced her depiction of Father Damian's characters;
"Erdric..."

Wow that's interesting Shomeret! I did not know about that! It figures I wouldn't because I was raised Catholic!
By over the top, I did not mean it in a bad way, rather that it seemed fantastical. Because Agnes is never described as being a masculine women it just seemed hard to believe that no one noticed and suspected. This is before (view spoiler)[I read the part in chapter 13 where Nanapush confronts Agnes/Father Damian directly about it. (hide spoiler)] I think actually many of the Ojibwe suspected it all along, but it did not matter to them.

[Leann]

This is fascinating, both about Erdrich's grandfather and the hidden women's history. Thank you for the links.

[Jalilah]

I finished last night. Wow, reviews calling this novel a " masterwork" are not exaggerating! It's definitely one of those books you think about even while not reading it. I was really moved!
I would have liked to have known more about some of the other characters. For instance Marie Kashpaw ( not Mary Kashpaw) is hardly mentioned at all until father Jude interviews her in regards to Sister Leopolda. However knowing that this is one of the many "Argus" novels , I assume there might have been something about her and many of the other characters in some of the earlier novels. For this reason I definitely look forward to reading more! Another small thing is I wish she'd had a glossary for the many Ojebwe words she used. I am also reading Manitous: The Spiritual World Of The Ojibway by Basil Johnston, so I am becoming more familiar with the Ojebwe mythology and spiritual beliefs.

[Jalilah]

Shomeret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Also from the link I posted above, I found it very interesting that it was Erdrich own Grandfather who in many ways influenced her depiction of Father Damian's characters;
"Erdric..."

In the end note Erdrich actually mentions Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton, for "Those who question the possibility of lifelong gender disguise" .
As I read on this aspect actually became more and more believable.

[Margaret]

Jalilah wrote: "I finished last night. Wow, reviews calling this novel a " masterwork" are not exaggerating! It's definitely one of those books you think about even while not reading it. I really moved!
I would ..."

I recently read Love Medicine, and Marie Kashpaw features prominently in it.

[Jalilah]

Margaret wrote: "I recently read Love Medicine, and Marie Kashpaw features prominently in it

Good to know! That's the one I was planning on reading next since it's the first of the series. I won't be able to read it this month though. I have other books ahead and the Italian Folktales is do long! I had no idea!

[Leann]

The connection to place/earth/nature is so beautiful in this story.

Agnes' taking on a new identity seemed logical to me, perhaps because of the clues this discussion has given me. Her story is reminding me of the respected place two-spirits hold in Native culture.
http://www.firstpeople.us/articles/th...

[Julia]

Nearly a month later, I think I've read all of Louise Erdrich's adult books. I haven't gotten around to The Birchbark House or Chickadee.

[Jalilah]

Julia wrote: "Nearly a month later, I think I've read all of Louise Erdrich's adult books. I haven't gotten around to The Birchbark House or Chickadee."

I feel like reading all her books too Julia!
In the meantime I read The Round House and think I might have loved it slightly more. In any case I feel like I could go on reading all her books!
I'm going to start a thread for Louise Erdrich not, a buddy read just so everyone can comment about her books.

[Katy]

The Round House is the only book I've read by her. I'd like to read more, but just haven't. Sorry I missed reading this time around with you -- but as you all have the same problem -- so many books to read. Just can't get around to all of them.

[Jalilah]

Kathy wrote: "The Round House is the only book I've read by her. I'd like to read more, but just haven't. Sorry I missed reading this time around with you -- but as you all have the same problem ..."

As you already know Kathy, our threads stay open, so if you read it at a later date you can still comment. Erdrich books are definitely the kind I feel like talking about afterwards! So I am certain I'll reply!

[Julia]

I bought a copy of The Plague of Doves last month at an independent bookstore, because I love her books and mostly get them from the library and this was $4.98. I intend to reread it soonish. Judge Antone Bazil Coutts, who I remember from The Round House is also in this.

[Jalilah]

Julia wrote: "I bought a copy of The Plague of Doves last month at an independent bookstore, because I love her books and mostly get them from the library and this was $4.98. I intend to reread it..."

I read The Plague of Doves earlier this month Julia! I've been feeling like I could read one Louise Erdrichnovel after another lately!

[Zanna]

I definitely could, I want to stay in her world. But at the same time, like family members you feel you can come visit any time, welcome