Last review for my Tournament of Books shortlist goal! I read the entire shortlist this year, and saved one of the best of the tournament for last. Thanks to @harperbooks for sending me a copy of The Sentence by Louise Erdrich awhile back. This was my first Erdrich and it won’t be my last. 

 

The Sentence follows Tookie, a woman released from prison now living a quiet life with the former cop who arrested her. Tookie works at Birchbark Books, an indie bookstore in Minneapolis that is actually owned by Erdrich IRL. In fact, Erdrich is a character in this novel. After a bookstore regular dies, her spirit refuses to leave the bookstore. Tookie must deal with the haunting during a tumultuous time - this is a Covid novel, and also depicts the unrest in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd. 

 

Erdrich’s writing is so smooth. Reading Tookie’s story felt like comforting despite the turmoil happening around her. I loved the relationships between the characters. They were complex and felt real. This book was somehow warm and reflective despite being set amidst the chaos of 2020. Also it is full of book recommendations! I loved that! If you’re a book person (which I assume anyone following me probably is), I highly recommend it.