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grinberit's review against another edition
4.0
I thought I would hate this book or wouldn't be able to get through it, based on the premise, but I ended up thinking it was really thought provoking and liked it. A great book club read because there is a ton to discuss!
toebean5's review against another edition
4.0
The description of this book suggested that this would be a really heavy read; and while parts were, it was not overly so. Even the bulk of the book group enjoyed it, although many thought there was "too much going on." (Not going to lie, the priest angle felt unnecessary, but the rest was just the right amount for me.) I think this has a great deal to discuss, and our group got a good discussion going about boarding schools, native spirituality, and redemption.
blueflovver's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
erine's review against another edition
4.0
This was a long, slow, dense read. I can’t tell you how many times I picked this up just to put it down again. Or read a few pages only to pick up something else. Dialogue was hopelessly entangled with description, with no punctuation to distinguish it. The story begins with the accidental death of a five year old, then continues with grief, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts. There are timeline interruptions for deeply sad tales of abandonment and haunting, boarding schools that tried to “kill the Indian” and save the human. The timeline continues with teenage sexual abuse, various affairs, and bitter woes.
And yet, for all that, I still enjoyed this. The book’s unflinching take on reality and its difficulties, small triumphs, large tragedies, the spiderwebs of our relationships, and the ways we make the world bearable for each other was — not uplifting, yet not depressing — it was incredibly SOLID. This story was just incredibly real.
The long backstory of Landreaux and Romeo was also heart wrenching. Their friendship turned to indifference and yet still there is care between them: Landreaux raises Romeo’s son Hollis. Even Romeo’s misplaced vengeance, which almost leads to Peter killing Landreaux outright, is foiled by LaRose himself and things turn out ok.
My 2020 pandemic and election-ravaged attention span was not a fan of this book. But the themes of community and caring for others made it a worthwhile struggle.
And yet, for all that, I still enjoyed this. The book’s unflinching take on reality and its difficulties, small triumphs, large tragedies, the spiderwebs of our relationships, and the ways we make the world bearable for each other was — not uplifting, yet not depressing — it was incredibly SOLID. This story was just incredibly real.
Spoiler
It was heartbreaking and yet also heartwarming to see how Maggie and LaRose came together to support their suicidal mother. The question of who is to blame for an accident permeates the entire story, along with how to heal that tragedy and whether revenge is ever worth it. And yet many of the players in the story grow and develop in positive directions.The long backstory of Landreaux and Romeo was also heart wrenching. Their friendship turned to indifference and yet still there is care between them: Landreaux raises Romeo’s son Hollis. Even Romeo’s misplaced vengeance, which almost leads to Peter killing Landreaux outright, is foiled by LaRose himself and things turn out ok.
My 2020 pandemic and election-ravaged attention span was not a fan of this book. But the themes of community and caring for others made it a worthwhile struggle.
marieobr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booksmacked's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
askatknits's review against another edition
4.0
This book was interesting - magical, and at times so devastating and while I am not sure I entirely enjoyed the rawness of it - it held my attention to the very end.
bangalee57's review against another edition
2.0
This story jumped around so much that I couldn’t keep track of which character and storyline I was reading/hearing. Maybe it’s better in ebook or printed, but not good as an audiobook. The reader’s voice is soothing as she reads tragic events and the dissonance is rough.
birdwatching's review against another edition
4.0
Sorrow eats time.
Be patient.
Time eats sorrow.
This story starts dramatically with an accidental shooting that leads to an unconventional (but based on ancient custom) decision about how to try and make amends or rather join in grief two families. From there it explores in many tendrils and through many interconnected eyes the reflexive need for revenge and the experience of grief in many forms from the global (the start of the Iraq war), to the historical (the intergenerational trauma for the native american population), to the familial and personal (everything from mental health to rape to bullying to acquired disability to unrequited love). It also addresses healing in many forms from the spiritual, to the bonds of family and romantic love. A very, very impressive novel in all it achieves and accomplishes. The writing is absolutely stunning in its poetics at times. Not quite a 5 star for me for two reasons only: it took me a long time to get into and it wrapped up just a bit too neatly for me given the themes explored.
Be patient.
Time eats sorrow.
This story starts dramatically with an accidental shooting that leads to an unconventional (but based on ancient custom) decision about how to try and make amends or rather join in grief two families. From there it explores in many tendrils and through many interconnected eyes the reflexive need for revenge and the experience of grief in many forms from the global (the start of the Iraq war), to the historical (the intergenerational trauma for the native american population), to the familial and personal (everything from mental health to rape to bullying to acquired disability to unrequited love). It also addresses healing in many forms from the spiritual, to the bonds of family and romantic love. A very, very impressive novel in all it achieves and accomplishes. The writing is absolutely stunning in its poetics at times. Not quite a 5 star for me for two reasons only: it took me a long time to get into and it wrapped up just a bit too neatly for me given the themes explored.