Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

3 reviews

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

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emotional informative lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0


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al3xa's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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linesiunderline's review

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challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a wonderful, immersive story about the life of an Ojibwe family living on an island in Lake Superior in the mid 1800s.

I enjoyed many things about this series opener, but a few aspects really stand out. First, Erdrich does a beautiful job of conveying the many seasonal practices and daily rituals of this family, in this time and place. You really do feel like you are sneaking a glimpse into aspects of their culture that might be unfamiliar at the same time as Omakayas comes across as a little girl with many highly relatable qualities and experiences. 

I found the section when the family contracted smallpox to be especially powerful. It was unflinching and impactful, but still appropriate for a young audience. 

Having finally read this title (and I plan to keep reading the series) I can’t imagine putting Little House on the Prairie into the hands of young readers without this book alongside. 

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