Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Review: Louise Erdrich wrote this book to honor the work of her grandfather, the titular night watchman of a jewel bearing plant, was also a Chippewa tribal chairman who took the fight against the Indian Termination Policy all the way to Washington DC in 1954. Thomas, his fictionalized counterpart has a great story to tell. I only wish Erdrich has let more of his voice through, and not muddied the water with so many ancillary characters.
To be fair, the other characters give a fuller picture of life on the reservation. Perhaps if this book had been presented as a series of interlinked short stories, with Thomas's story to anchor it at the end, it would have worked better. Instead, we jump from one person to another, or see the characters interact in stilted, forced tones and situations. The pieces all add up to a picture of the fragility of life on the reservation, and the danger posed by the Indian Termination Act, but it's a choppy picture, and one that doesn't make for a very satisfying story.
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.
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