The Night Watchman Hardcover – Deckle Edge, March 3, 2020

The Night Watchman is an impressive literary feat. Written to preserve the memory of the US government’s attempt to close Indian reservations in the 1950s, only a small part of the book is actually devoted to narrating this controversy.Instead it mostly focuses on the struggles of a young Native American woman. Can she find her lost sister, what is her romantic future, what to do with her deadbeat father, etc.Through these interwoven narratives, Erorich breathes life into an Indian reservation in the post war era. It’s not an idealized image: poverty, violence and alcoholism do run rife throughout the text.But it is a proud community conscious of a tradition and culture that long predates the European settlement.And this is where the text is most impressive. In terse and uncomplicated prose, the story unfolds as if the imagined universe of the tribe is real. Just as Christian literature may cast angels and demons as characters, The Night Watchman makes the spirits, mythologies and shamanism not just literary ornaments but key drivers of the story. Look, for example, to the characters’ participation in the tribe’s creation myth, the presence of benign and malignant ghosts and the way shamanism is able to reveal key plot elements.Given the extent to which cultural genocide has been perpetrated against Indian heritage, this is a much needed act of preservation. In some ways, The Night Watchman continues the effort of the characters to preserve their reservations; the book becomes a means by which Indian culture can be preserved and transmitted.In short, crisp prose combined with a deep grounding of the book in a tribe’s collective imagination makes for a book worth reading.

I love great storytellers like Louise Erdrich, but they are few and far between. A good book is often quickly forgotten, and a great book lingers in the heart and mind for a lifetime. The Night Watchman is a great book. The story of Thomas “Muskrat” Wazhashk and the story of the Turtle Mountain People during the 1950’s, one of many times the United States government attempted to renege on its treaties and steal Native land is, at once, heart-wrenching, heartwarming, and powerfully life affirming.In the early part of this tale, readers will come upon a seemingly innocuous mention of Thomas Wazhashk’s family quilt. Immediately thereafter, the wonder of many lifetimes flows out as one of the most inspiringly beautiful passages I have ever read in my 69 years on this planet. Then, of course, just as when I read The Round House many years ago, Louise Erdrich follows with so many equally powerful passages that remind us why her books linger in the heart and mind for so long.

It felt so wonderful to be back in the hands of a master storyteller and that is Louise Erdrich. The characters are extremely well developed and I felt as though I knew them all, I didn’t want to leave this story. The setting for a novel about American Indians in the 1950’s is a unique one, often books are about the start of our “elimination” of the Indians.I wanted to know everything about the reservation, the new bill that Congress was going to pass and how these incredible characters with all of their beliefs, visions and talents were going to survive if this bill should pass.One of the main characters, Thomas, who is the night watchman at a jewel bearing factory is based on the author’s grandfather. He is a loving, tireless man who cares deeply about the Chippewa Turtle Mountain people and his own family.There are several stories going on in this novel but they are all part of the whole. We will watch as Thomas writes hundreds of letters to those in the government who might listen to his plea that the tribe be allowed to keep the little bit of land that they have. This once powerful tribe of hunters and gatherers was forced onto a small plot of land and had to learn how to farm in order to exist. They were given very little help from the government but even this was in danger of being taken away. They must form a committee and address Congress directly.At the same time we learn about Thomas’s family, he deeply loves his wife Rose who works tirelessly to keep their family together, fed and clothed. His oldest daughter Vera left for the city, and hasn’t been heard from in a while. Patrice, his other daughter works at the jewel bearing plant where Thomas is a watchman. Her job is working on a type of production line, cutting precise holes into small jewel panels..When Vera has been missing for a while Patrice saves up her money and goes to the city to find her. What happens to her there is eye opening as well as discouraging. We come back to that story later in the novel.Thomas’s father, Bibon, lives with them, he is quite old but is filled with wisdom and inner strength. He will help Thomas in his quest to speak in front of Congress on behalf of his tribe.“Make the Washington D.C.’s understand. We just started getting on our feet. Getting so we have some coins to jingle. Making farms. Becoming famous in school like you. All that will suffer. It will be wiped out.. . ..They sent us their tuberculosis. It is taking us down. We don’t have money to go to their hospitals. It was their promise to exchange these things for our land. “Long as the grass grows and the rivers flow.”Scattered throughout the book there are references to Indian folklore and some magical passages which are beautiful and thought provoking.The older generation has struggled with efforts to completely change their way of life. The younger generation still looks up to the elders but also wants what they see on TV and magazines, cute clothes, nice homes, cell phones, and to live in the city. They are often pulled in two different directions.I don’t want to give away any more of this amazing story. Hopefully I have given you enough enticement to read this book. It is definitely one of my top books this year and is not to be missed. Ms. Erdrich will reward you with a great story, wonderful characters and a history of some of the terrible things that we have done to the American Indians. We virtually broke every treaty that we made with the Indians.I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss

The basic plot, the story of the Indians of the Turtle Mountain Reservation threatened with dispossession of their land by white men in Washington who haven't the slightest concept of what's important to the Native Americans, is a good one. But the author introduces too many characters, doesn't define them properly, and muddies the central plot with a lot of extraneous sub-plots that she doesn't bring off very well and too many characters that she throws at the reader without developing them very well.The whole novel is confused and annoying, and not well done. I stayed with this story until I was halfway through, and then I put it aside; I just didn't want to deal with it any more. It's just a poorly executed work of fiction.

The Night Watchman is the beautifully told tale of the fight to maintain an Indian reservation in the early 1950s and is a worthy winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize.Thomas is a nightwatchman at the local jewel bearing plant. He is also the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Thomas gets wind of some forthcoming legislation, where the dry and difficult text amounts to an attempt to terminate the tribe’s rights (previously granted in perpetuity by the US Govt) to maintain the lands on their reservation. Instead the Bill seeks to disperse the tribe to the cities and to forego the rights which their ancestors fought for.Patrice (don’t call her Pixie) also works at the plant, along with her pals Valentine, Betty and Doris. Patrice’s sister Vera has already been lured to the city and has gone missing. Patrice makes it her mission to find her.Wood Mountain is a boxer, trained by Barnes, the local maths teacher. Both have eyes for Patrice. Both are thoroughly good people and are willing to do anything to help the causes of Thomas and Patrice.So we learn about a host of characters within the community. Anchored by Thomas and his impending trip to Washington and Patrice and her family issues. This is a book of warmth, community and facing up to a significant enemy. The prose is wonderful and remains understated throughout. I (sadly) knew little about the state land grabs of native Americans and I am therefore grateful to have both read and hugely enjoyed The Night Watchman.With thanks to Little Brown (Corsair) and Netgalley for an ARC

It's seldom I'd award five stars to a book. But this one deserves even more if possible.It shows life among the Chippewa Native Americans in 1953 when a senator is attempting to break the conditions of the treaty apportioning their reservation to the Chippewa. There are great characters here, some based on relatives of the author. There's lots of the lore and superstitions used by the tribe as they gradually acquire education. This is a well-plotted and well-written novel. Without being in any way maudlin, this saga arouses great sympathy for these utterly disadvantaged people.

Such a beautifully crafted and well-told story of a defined period in history and a real struggle set against the everyday realities of life on a reservation in the 1950s. The warmth of the writing and the regard for the characters really comes through and you care for the full range of people and circumstances that happen here. It really transports you to a time and place that is exquisitely drawn.

Another great novel from Louise. I love learning the snippets of history interwoven within the story and getting a feeling for how life is for the people living their day to day lives and the honesty of how very hard their lives are still.

I love this author and am enjoying the book but this printing has more errors and typos than any book I’ve ever read. And I read a lot of books. It is distracting when reading. What a shame that the printing company did not give this brilliant author the care and attention to detail she deserves.