About the Author

Louise Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and is the author of many bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. She lives in Minnesota with her family, where she runs an independent bookstore, The Birchbark House. You can visit her online at www.louiseerdrichbooks.com.

Reviews

"Memorable." -- Chicago Tribune "Full of humor, richness and heart." -- Wisconsin State Journal

"Memorable." -- Chicago Tribune "Full of humor, richness and heart." -- Wisconsin State Journal

Gr 4-6-The melody of a lone flute and the beat of a native drum begin each cassette, setting the mood for this Native American story about an eight-year old Ojibwa girl. Omakayas and her family live on the island of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker in Lake Superior in 1847. Based on her own family history, Louise Erdrich has crafted a richly textured historical novel (Hyperion, 1999). Nicolle Littrell's slow, clear narration is rich and inviting. Ojibwa words are smoothly woven into the narration, and their meaning is clear from context. Littrell gives voice to each well-developed character with varied vocal inflections. We observe a year's cycle of activity in her family and the Indian community. Eventually we learn about "the chimookoman" (the white man) as Omakayas overhears her father and his friends talking around the campfire. Although chimookoman lurks on the fringes of the story, he is central to the plot. A white man brings smallpox to the community and Omakayas can't save her baby brother. In this carefully crafted story, we intimately feel the effect of the Westward Expansion of the United States from the point of view of a loving Ojibwa family. Listeners who prefer action to descriptive narration will find the pace slow. The first of a projected series of books, this audiobook will be a fine addition to school and public libraries.-Bonnie Bolton, Cleveland Public Library, OH Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.