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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
A look at tribal politics and belonging, centered on a fraught election that results in rioting and discord.
A multilayered novel set on the Passage Rouge Nation (PRN) lands to address some concerning contemporary sociopolitical issues, including corruption, class conflicts, disenfranchisement, tribal membership, and greed. The novel takes place primarily during a long Thanksgiving weekend, right before tribal election day.
Mitch Caddo, half-Anishinaabe, spent most of his childhood on PRN lands in Wisconsin. After a short career in tribal family law, he now acts as the fixer for the current tribal president, Mack Beck. Just days away from the Tuesday election, Beck is worried he might lose to his opponent, so he and his team set in motion a scheme they hope will guarantee a victory. Caddo is, in turn, forced to figure out where his loyalties lie and how much he's willing to sacrifice in support of those loyalties.
The novel is complex and fast moving. You can't help but compare Caddo's experience with that of some of today's federal USA politicians. I liked the writing style and the good use of memory and flashback to provide prospective. This is a solid, recommended read. Note: This is an Own Voice novel (Hickey is a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa Indians.)
The audiobook was performed by Shaun Taylor-Corbett. I can't judge his Anishinaabe pronunciations, but the flow and cadence of his delivery seemed believable. He did a great job conveying Caddo's feelings and personality. (Note: Taylor-Corbett is a member of the Blackfeet Nation, who traditionally spoke a language related to Anishinaabe.)
Thanks to SimonAudio for the review copy.
Mitch Caddo, half-Anishinaabe, spent most of his childhood on PRN lands in Wisconsin. After a short career in tribal family law, he now acts as the fixer for the current tribal president, Mack Beck. Just days away from the Tuesday election, Beck is worried he might lose to his opponent, so he and his team set in motion a scheme they hope will guarantee a victory. Caddo is, in turn, forced to figure out where his loyalties lie and how much he's willing to sacrifice in support of those loyalties.
The novel is complex and fast moving. You can't help but compare Caddo's experience with that of some of today's federal USA politicians. I liked the writing style and the good use of memory and flashback to provide prospective. This is a solid, recommended read. Note: This is an Own Voice novel (Hickey is a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa Indians.)
The audiobook was performed by Shaun Taylor-Corbett. I can't judge his Anishinaabe pronunciations, but the flow and cadence of his delivery seemed believable. He did a great job conveying Caddo's feelings and personality. (Note: Taylor-Corbett is a member of the Blackfeet Nation, who traditionally spoke a language related to Anishinaabe.)
Thanks to SimonAudio for the review copy.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was an incredible read! There as such depth in the story that gave the characters so much life to them, and added to the drama that unfolded in the story. There is a sense of melancholy and nostalgic regret that runs deep through the narration, and brings the story to life.
This book follows Mitch Caddo, an Indigenous lawyer turned poilitical fixer. Mitch is trying to keep his boss and childhood friend, Mack Beck, the president of the Passage Rouge Anishinaabe council. Mitch grew up partially outside of the community, and so he still feels like an outsider, even though his mother brought him back to the reservation to connect with his heritage. While attempting to keep Mack the president of the council in the impending election, their hold on power becomes more tenuous as the challenger, Gloria Hawkins, and her aide, Layla Beck, Mack’s estranged sister and Mitch’s former love, campaign in the community. The campaign falls more apart when Mitch’s mentor is killed in an accident, and Mitch begins to question how far they’re willing to go to win the election.
Throughout the book, I felt torn with how Mitch had approached many of his decisions. With the flashbacks to his earlier life in the community, we see glimpses of how he arrived at the current situation in the election. Mitch is not always a likeable character, and that does make some of the book difficult to enjoy, however I think it adds to the overall story. As much as we may want a ‘happy ending’ for the characters, this book felt deeply human to me. This story felt like a reckoning for Mitch, as he examined his past choices, as well as how he reacted to his current predicament. The book did tend to drag a bit in the flashback portions, but overall I enjoyed this book.
This book follows Mitch Caddo, an Indigenous lawyer turned poilitical fixer. Mitch is trying to keep his boss and childhood friend, Mack Beck, the president of the Passage Rouge Anishinaabe council. Mitch grew up partially outside of the community, and so he still feels like an outsider, even though his mother brought him back to the reservation to connect with his heritage. While attempting to keep Mack the president of the council in the impending election, their hold on power becomes more tenuous as the challenger, Gloria Hawkins, and her aide, Layla Beck, Mack’s estranged sister and Mitch’s former love, campaign in the community. The campaign falls more apart when Mitch’s mentor is killed in an accident, and Mitch begins to question how far they’re willing to go to win the election.
Throughout the book, I felt torn with how Mitch had approached many of his decisions. With the flashbacks to his earlier life in the community, we see glimpses of how he arrived at the current situation in the election. Mitch is not always a likeable character, and that does make some of the book difficult to enjoy, however I think it adds to the overall story. As much as we may want a ‘happy ending’ for the characters, this book felt deeply human to me. This story felt like a reckoning for Mitch, as he examined his past choices, as well as how he reacted to his current predicament. The book did tend to drag a bit in the flashback portions, but overall I enjoyed this book.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality
3.5 Mitch Caddo is an attorney/fixer for Tribal President Mack Beck of the Passage Rouge Nation, having returned to the reservation after spending time away. Mack has spent the previous term banishing many from the reservation, ostensibly for criminal actions, which has not been popular. In the lead-up to the contentious election between Mack and activist Gloria, Mitch must contend with his candidate's impulsive actions, protestors, encounters with his lost love Layla who supports the other candidate, and a tragedy involving his mentor.
I never got much of a sense of Mitch, who always seemed to be in the shadows of stronger personalities like Mack and Joe. I also felt like a lot of the relationship conflicts weren't really developed enough: the estrangement of Mack and Joe, the protestors, Joe and Layla's support of Gloria, what Mitch was and wasn't willing to do in support of Mack. And then other motives seemed heavy-handed (a late revelation about Joe). Still, I liked a lot about it, particularly the setting around the tribal election and will pick up another book by this author.
I never got much of a sense of Mitch, who always seemed to be in the shadows of stronger personalities like Mack and Joe. I also felt like a lot of the relationship conflicts weren't really developed enough: the estrangement of Mack and Joe, the protestors, Joe and Layla's support of Gloria, what Mitch was and wasn't willing to do in support of Mack. And then other motives seemed heavy-handed (a late revelation about Joe). Still, I liked a lot about it, particularly the setting around the tribal election and will pick up another book by this author.
Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy!
This was disappointing to say the least. I was initially excited because it's described as There There meets The Nightwatchman, but I did not get that vibe from this book. It started off really strong, but honestly? The main character, Mitch, is super insufferable. I know he's a man with political goals, but his inner thoughts are really annoying. If he'd been more likable, I might have enjoyed this more. All the best to the author as he does have a strong voice, this book was just not it for me.
This was disappointing to say the least. I was initially excited because it's described as There There meets The Nightwatchman, but I did not get that vibe from this book. It started off really strong, but honestly? The main character, Mitch, is super insufferable. I know he's a man with political goals, but his inner thoughts are really annoying. If he'd been more likable, I might have enjoyed this more. All the best to the author as he does have a strong voice, this book was just not it for me.
challenging
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced