The Sentence: A Novel

I found the summary of this book to be misleading. The book is a bit scattered and more of a fictional autobiography of the character to find solace in who she is and what has defined her. There was great beauty and innocence in the main character, Tookie and the way the events of her story is told. A haunting of the bookstore is simply one of many events that occurred and just like Tookie, you only reach a full evaluation of her inner exploration of who she is at the end of the book.

What a surreal slice of life The story meandered, savored bits of life, and poured into my being sad stories , magical stories and moods of being a Native American having to deal with white savages through history and the present. The chronicling of early Covid days almost seemed like long ago history, along with the nuanced horrors of living through the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd. The real books mentioned, so many books. A few I’ve read, a few I will read. I’m not a literate reader—themes and threads and metaphors are above my abilities to articulate. So, I know they’re in this book, but that is all. I know history and the past have power and can even kill in the present. But I cannot comment on how the author laid out these patterns. She nails the obtuseness of the privileged whites who don’t view other people as equals or even human. Some use people of color as tools to assuage their white guilt, but not to include or give back what they’ve stolen, what their ancestors have stolen. “…Asema and I were both paralyzed. There was a sliding sensation. Like when you see the car driving along in front of you slip on ice and proceed across the roadway sideways. It is something that an Indigenous person often feels as they listen to non-Indians appreciate an unbelievably dense dealing with Indians. “The woman continued. ‘After the blue ribbon, my great-aunt didn’t know what to do with the bones! I mean, what do you do? So she kept them under her bed.’ Asema croaked, ‘Wha . . .’ and then shifted closer to the woman, speaking at an uncomfortable proximity. ‘Did she give the bones back? And the land?’ The woman suddenly understood that Asema wasn’t in her thrall. Her expression flattened and she snapped out of her complacency. ‘That’s not gonna happen.’…” The calling out and naming of some of the real wretched cops who killed innocent people with no accountability. What I didn’t like so much was the tone the author took as she read her book. Sometimes, I found it annoying and I read an ebook instead of listened. Also, there were shifts of who was speaking even though it seemed like a first-person novel. I got confused and distracted sometimes.

I really enjoyed the story and thought the characters were so intriguing. Love Louise Erdrich’s writing. Touching on the pandemic was tough. Not sure I am ready to process it all. The George Floyd protests thru the eyes of people who were “there” was fascinating. Recommend.