My wife Jen passed this book on to me. It was one of her book club reads and they had all raved about it, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I also just noticed that it won the National Book Award for fiction.
Louise Erdrich is a member of a the Turtle Mountain band of the Chippewa tribe, whose reservation sits in north-central North Dakota. The novel takes place on the reservation and the characters are Native American, both of which (place and Native culture and family relationships) play central roles in the book.
It seems to me that the greatest works of art are both innovative and accessible. The viewers/readers can lose themselves in a pleasurable experience, and yet are also pushed, challenged, and opened up. The Round House is such a work of art.
The central incident in the book, that sets the plot tension and pervades the entire novel, is a tragedy that knows no racial or cultural boundaries. The characters respond to the incident through their own Native American cultural and family traditions, but the weight of larger American culture, which incredibly does not allow for justice in this situation, is felt heavily. The issue of justice is the central one for the main character, a 13 year old boy.
On the other hand, the book is a page turner crime novel and is a pleasure to read. Highly recommended!
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