Louise Erdrich
Love Medicine (1984)
Author: Louise Erdrich
Genre: Literary fiction (Native American)
Plot Summary:
June Kashpaw’s death on the Chippewa reservation in North Dakota serves as the centerpiece for a series of first-person narratives by her family members and other people intertwined with her family. Her death causes secrets to be revealed about affairs between the Lamartine and Kashpaw families and who belongs to which family, in events which span most of the 20th century. June was raised by Eli Kashpaw, and spent a great deal of time with his brother Nector's family and the many children taken in by Marie Kashpaw. Nector was chairman of the tribe and was highly respected on and off the reservation, but is now succumbing to an illness which appears to be similar to alzheimer's. Nector had an affair with Lulu Lamartine for a long time, but it came to an end after a fire which nearly killed Lulu and their son. June's son is flaunting the car he bought with her insurance money, but is also treating his white wife and their son terribly. Lipsha Morrissey was raised by Marie, but discovers that he is June's son by one of Lulu's boys. This discovery helps him confirm his place in the family and finally gives him a feeling of belonging.
Geographical Setting: Chippewa Reservation in North Dakota, and surrounding areas
Time Period: current time is 1984, but episodes occur at many points in the 20th century (1934, 1953, etc.)
Appeal Elements:
Native American themes would appeal to people interested in North American issues and history, and people interested in minority groups and how they are affected by modern American culture. The tone is reflective, in that each vignette is told as if it were being narrated to an outsider, or being written down for posterity. The pace mirrors the tone, so within each chapter the action moves slowly. Characters are deeply developed, but not thoroughly developed – you know a lot about things that are very important to them, but only see a sketch of what got them to that point.
Red Flags: extra-marital affairs, illegitimate children, support of those who have been convicted of crimes, and a possibly blasphemous episode involving a child who believed herself to be a saint and a nun who practiced corporal punishment quite enthusiastically.
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