A review by emilyinherhead
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

4.0

I really liked this book! There’s a whole ensemble cast of characters in the North Dakota town where the story takes place, but we’re mainly following Kismet, a young woman just out of high school, and Crystal, her mother, who works the overnight shift hauling sugar beets from local farms. A lot is going on: Kismet is getting engaged to Gary even though she seems to love someone else, Crystal is trying to make ends meet and save money for Kismet’s college education, the farmland is constantly changing with the climate, the town gossip mill is still abuzz about a horrible recent accident involving Gary and his friends when Kismet’s dad suddenly goes missing…

Louise Erdrich is tackling some weighty issues in this book—racism, classism, and the environment, to name a few—but what stood out to me was the tone, which felt warm and even funny at times. I didn’t always agree with the characters’ choices, and there were a few people I actively disliked, but I loved the variety and amount of different voices present here, and the rich tapestry of community that Erdrich weaves them into.