Louise Erdrich's "The Mighty Red" (BOOK REVIEW)
A wild ride in rural America
Writing "The Mighty Red" took Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich tons of research and more than 10 years to complete. Like many of her works, it revolves around the all-consuming nature of family life, doomed romance, and love and loss, power dynamics, money, activism, and the need to protect the natural world.
Set in Tabor, North Dakota during the 2008 financial crash, "The Mighty Red" is full of magical realism, satirical humor, a cast of compelling characters (complete with the crazy antics of a black hatted character) populate a rich kaleidoscope of story lines and subplots.
Part Faulkner, part Shakespeare, "The Mighty Red" is also reminiscent of Tolstoy in the best possible way. Erdrich's engaging teen protagonist, Kismet Poe, reads "Anna Karenina" and says she's surprised he has so much to say about farming! (The author and her mother did farm work themselves, picking beets and cucumbers when they were in season.)
The memorable title refers to the Red River of the North, where the author grew up. Ultimately, this is a novel about what is important in life, such as the beautiful stretch of land that is their home, and its increasing endangerment by greedy agribusiness practices.
But what makes this book worth its salt is the fine narration that stitches it all together, like a master seamstress who relishes demonstrating that she can sew anything. I look forward to reading her next novel. 
An important prophesy about Ukraine:
