Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsterrific read
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2021
Magnificent novel of love and ghosts in the time of COVID and protest in Minneapolis. And, a bonus for readers because you might, like me, find a new book to read based on Tookie's recommendations to customers (as well as from Ehrdich's list at the end). Set largely over 2020, it's the story of Tookie, who, upon release from prison for an unusual crime, married Pollux, the tribal cop who arrested her, and went to work in Erdich's bookstore in Minneapolis. She's made a home there in the stacks but now Flora, a pest of a customer, has died and her ghost has taken up residence. And Hetta. Pollux's "daughter" has come to stay along with her infant son Jarvis. I loved this for the characters- the women who work at Birchbark books as well as the customers (and their questions)- as well as for the subtleties. Yes it's a pandemic book and a protest book but Erdich keeps the people at the forefront and personalizes things that sometimes felt too big during 2020. There are wonderful small touches, such as a beloved customer's beloved dog, and the story of Jarvis' father (there's more to him than you might think initially). And Tookie's love for Pollux: has she forgiven him for arresting her? Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. Highly recommend. And the ending.......
