Reviews

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

This is the story of Father Damien Modeste, priest to his beloved people, the Ojibwe. Modeste, nearing the end of his life, dreads the discovery of his physical identity -- for he is a woman who has lived as a man.

I went into this knowing next to nothing about it, other than the fact that I had loved Erdrich’s The Sentence, which had been shortlisted for the Women's Prize a couple of years ago. And I loved this book too, very much so. I really need to look further into this author’s back catalogue as I really enjoy her writing, storytelling, vivid characters and sense of humour.
I found myself so invested in the lives of those characters, not only Father Damien’s, but also the families that make up this community - it is a community made of contradictions, and support, heartbreak, loss and love.
This book also touches on the important topic of colonialism and missionaries imposing their religion and way of life on indigenous communities.
It is quite a slow-paced book, but I loved how Erdrich approached her story and her characters lovingly, sensitively and without judgement. I now definitely want to read everything she's ever written and is ever going to write.

otterparty's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

3.5

esselleayy's review against another edition

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5.0

I don't think I've ever read any Louise Erdrich despite all her acclaim over the years. Now I feel like I have to read everything.

moh's review against another edition

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5.0

This is one of my all-time favorite novels. On rereading it, I'm struck with how masterfully Louise Erdrich plays with ideas about what we consider true, esp. concerning history but just in general. And I've always loved her sense of humor.

She has a note at the end of one of the newer editions of Love Medicine that says (in much more elegant language) she eventually realized she had been writing "one long book," and Love Medicine, Tracks, Four Souls, The Bingo Palace, The Painted Drum, and this novel are the main chapters. In an extended moment of pleasurable book-nerdery, I've been re-reading them in more or less that order. This is the book that, for me at least, most strongly ties together the different families' stories and makes me laugh at everything I thought I knew about them. It's also staggeringly beautiful as a standalone novel. If you like to read novels that break your heart and somehow manage to still leave you feeling hopeful, you will love The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse.

sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

A stunning, rich addition to the complex world Erdrich has created in her sprawling Love Medicine saga. I thought the imagery in this one was particularly beautiful--there was line after life that I just wanted to sit with and savor. This was surprising, funny, heartbreaking, and soul-affirming all at once. I'm fascinated by the way Erdrich writes about faith and the ways Father Damien and Leopolda choose to use it. Her characters feel like old friends to me by now and I love getting to revisit and deepen my understanding of them with every book.

askatknits's review against another edition

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5.0

Louise is a magnificent story teller – she has a wonderful way of drawing you into the story and then she unleashes her brilliant characters on you. The writing is masterful, and the story is just brilliant – and complicated – and I loved every little bit of it.

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