A review by barnstormingbooks
Four Souls by Louise Erdrich

emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 

Four Souls brings back some of Erdrich’s earlier characters from the Love Medicine series. This installment focuses on Fleur Pillager in her revenge plot against the man who stole her land. As with all the Love Medicine books, the plot and the outcome are not what anyone expected. Erdrich continues her amazing ability to create odd and complex community structures. This time adding in the sister-in-law of the man Fleur is trying to take revenge on and Nanapush as the narrators. 

 

This is not my favorite Love Medicine book by far. While I found Nanapush a delightfully quirky character in other installments, living in his head for half the book was exhausting. He’s just too over the top and at times ridiculous. The choice to use Nanapush as a narrator stole the book, and not in a good way. 

 

When we could ignore Nanapush and focus on the women, the story was solid, often funny and always surprising. If you are reading the Love Medicine series, this adds to the rest of the World of No Horse, but if you are looking for a standalone, there are better options.