This book was a brilliantly woven tale of growing up and building relationships amid trauma and difficulty.

A Plague of Doves is a set of connected stories, peopled in the most part by characters of mixed Indian- White blood. Set on and around a reservation in North Dakota, concerning two communities, one Indian, one White. We read of their differences and their similarities, the various truths of living in a small, isolated area where mistrust and suspicion is the norm. At the heart of this book, outlined at the very beginning, is a story of the terrible murder of a white farming family. The survival of a baby and the immediate outlash at the Indian community. These deeds set the tone and echo on through the generations to come. We eventually learn who the murderer was and who the baby grew up to become. The stories jump around from person to person, backwards and forwards in time, You would think they would be a bit disjointed but Louise Erdrich is able to use language like an artist uses paint. She develops and enhances the pictures she is showing us. Her marvellous writing makes the whole book cohesive and real. These pages breathe life.. A fully populated, ultimately humane story, A Plague of Doves was a entertaining read about how entwined fates shaped the destiny of Pluto, North Dakota.

Too many characters. Too hard to follow. Jumps around in time a lot, which is confusing. Disappointing.

Brutal and powerful writing. Images from this book will be seared into my brain for a long time. Multiple narrative voices were very challenging to keep straight, but it was worth it in the end.