Book Review: The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

An unsolved murder haunts the town of Pluto. The repercussions still affect the town and the nearby reservation to this day. 


Three narrators give three distinctive perspectives on the event within the town and how the murder's impact drives the behaviors and motivations of people in Pluto. The journey to the truth is told by both sides with Evelina feeling like the mediator. Racism and misunderstanding are both the main and underlying conflicts in this story and show how there was often resentment in white communities when the Native American communities were doing well. While both communities handle the murders differently, there is a common theme of change and the need for justice for both.

"Guilt and redemption pepper these self-sufficient, intertwining stories, and readers who can keep track of the characters will find their efforts rewarded. The magic lies in the details of Erdrich’s ever-replenishing mythology, whether of a lost stamp collection or a boy’s salvation. A lush, multilayered book." -Kirkus Review


Book Information:

Erdrich, L. (2008). THE PLAGUE OF DOVES. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 9780060515126


Comments