THE NIGHT WATCHMAN

by Louise Erdrich

Louise Erdrich is a prolific American writer who really hits her stride in The Night Watchman.There’s a reason that this gem won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Louise Erdrich has filled her novel with a cast of memorable characters who live on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota in 1953. Their stories will stay with you long after you finish the novel.

Thomas Wazhashk is a watchman at the local jewel bearing plant and a Chippewa Council member, who is struggling to figure out what a new “emancipation” bill that is heading for the US Congress will really mean for the Native Americans on his reservation. Filled with captivating scenes of Thomas on night duty at the plant and, eventually, his trip to Washington D.C., Erdrich draws you into his world. Then there is Patrice Paranteau, former class valedictorian, who works long hours at the jewel bearing plant in order to support her mother and brother. She is determined to remain independent and not tie herself down with a husband and kids. With the burden of family on her shoulders, she sets out alone for Minnesota to find her sister who has mysteriously disappeared. Other notable characters include Wood Mountain, former high school boxer and Stack Barnes, his white teacher and boxing coach.

Not only does Erdrich weave together several compelling storylines filled with wonderful characters, but her writing is beautiful as well. Her ability to make the reader feel a part of the natural world she describes, as well as her magical descriptions of otherworldly happenings, render her writing truly original and unforgettable. The Night Watchman is a gorgeous book that you will find yourself recommending to friends. (Liz)