The Round House: National Book Award Winning Fiction

This book had a slow first third after a fairly jarring start, and then picked up steam to a bit of a cliff hanger. But the writing was so rich and beautiful, with well developed characters and an authentic feeling setting.

I’m so wowed by this book!! Louise Erdrich takes a story about a violent crime and turns it into something intimate, full of longing, grief, and sharply observed moments. We follow Joe, a thirteen-year-old Ojibwe boy whose life changes after his mother is attacked. What begins as a search for answers becomes a story about justice, growing up, and the weight of history. By the end of this book, I wanted to read every book written by Erdrich. Her writing feels effortless. She lets ordinary scenes do the emotional work. Family meals, inside jokes, afternoons spent biking around, and hushed conversations at home all reveal how fragile Joe’s world has become. That simplicity makes the book feel honest. You can sense Joe trying to make sense of an adult world that refuses to protect the people he loves. The story is framed through Joe as an adult remembering that summer, and this adds a quiet ache to the whole book. The blend of hindsight and memory gives the novel a storytelling rhythm that feels grounded and personal, almost as if someone were sharing something they have carried for years. Erdrich handles her themes with clarity. She reveals how messy legal systems leave Indigenous women vulnerable, but she does it through the emotional fallout rather than through lectures. The balance of humor, warmth, and community life keeps the novel from feeling heavy, and it reminds you that resilience and connection are just as central as the trauma. Her scenes move between sharp, high-tension moments and those slow, reflective ones where everything feels suspended. The Round House itself becomes a spiritual and emotional center without turning into a forced symbol. Ultimately, the novel is haunting, tender, and very human. Erdrich illustrates what it means for a boy to grow up in a world where justice is uncertain, and love must carry what the law cannot. It is a beautifully crafted story told with authority, restraint, and a voice that lingers.

This book is why studies show that reading fiction builds empathy. My heart is with this community that Erdrich has crafted and I love them. Required reading for white settlers, like me.

Excellent literary book with a bit of mystery, a bit of horror, and a lot of history.

Soooo good!