The Round House by Louise Erdrich

The Round House by Louise Erdrich, 321 pages

Thirteen year-old Joe finds his world shattered when his mother is the victim of a brutal crime. She withdraws within herself, unable to cope. Joe's father, a tribal judge, finds his options limited by the vagaries of tribal law, state law and federal statute. Even when the guilty party is found, there may be nothing that can be done. Joe and his closest friends try to sort out what they can do from what they cannot do. As this group of young teens try to make difficult adult decisions, they start running a little wild. Broken laws, shared secrets, and complicated family relations twist the simplest seeming facts around.
I wouldn't say that this was my favorite of Louise Erdrich's books. I think that I read The Antelope Wife for our book group several years ago, and I know that I enjoyed The Master Butcher's Singing Club too. They were both great books. Whatever failings I feel that The Round House might have, this book is still very good, Erdrich has that wonderful style, where everything she says rings true, important, and worth pursuing.
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