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themerryunicorn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.75
siria's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Erdrich's explorations of issues of gender, race and religion through the person of Fr Damien Modeste—formerly Agnes DeWitt, formerly Sister Cecilia, a white outsider who becomes part of an Ojibwe reservation community. I did find this a little uneven—the pacing was off at times, some of the characters felt more alive than others, and occasionally things felt overly convoluted—but the elegance of Erdrich's prose and the depth of her humour made The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse well worth the read.
imyerhero's review against another edition
3.0
As always, I enjoy the poetry of Louise Erdrich’s writing. Not only is she the master of retelling the history of certain people, but she does so with a simplistic grace. This is the second of her works which I’ve read and each has only served to deepen my respect for the Ojibwe people. However, this book deals both with Ojibwe life, belief, culture as well as the Catholic faith. Each person we are introduced to is presented with another individual who challenges their faith – whether it’s in Jesus, Mary, or the spirit world.
I found Agnes and Father Damian’s tale intriguing, not only because of it’s controversial nature but because the huge secret made them more human to me. The priest wasn’t placed on a higher or lower pedestal than anyone else. Each character in the novel was simply themselves, no glorification or attempt at painting them a villain. Erdrich has a talent for making each of her characters seem to be someone living out of time but at the same time possibly right next door.
I found Agnes and Father Damian’s tale intriguing, not only because of it’s controversial nature but because the huge secret made them more human to me. The priest wasn’t placed on a higher or lower pedestal than anyone else. Each character in the novel was simply themselves, no glorification or attempt at painting them a villain. Erdrich has a talent for making each of her characters seem to be someone living out of time but at the same time possibly right next door.
yuyuv's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abandonment
cats_and_bookdragons's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I have finally finished this book and wow! It's a very complex read as many of Erdrich's works are, but as usual it's beautifully written. It's the 6th book in a series (I use the word loosely as it's only some of the characters that cross over). Based on the Native American reservation of Little No Horse, it follows the story of Father Damien who is actually a woman named Agnes disguised as a priest. Although the novel is ostensibly about whether or not one of the nuns at the monastery should be beatified, it's really the story of Agnes/Father Damien and their interaction with the Ojibwe people as well as their spiritual beliefs. What is moat interesting is the rendering of Agnes/Father Damien. There's very little separation of the two. Erdrich frequently switches between the two names which makes gender a very fluid concept. I don't think this is a book for everyone because it jumps around a lot and keeping track of the real versus the imagined can be difficult, but I give it a 5/5.
ibrow's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sittingwishingreading's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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
brianreadsbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0