2022 update: bumping up to 5 stars! Now that I have more Erdrich novels under my belt and am familiar with her characters, this book was much more enjoyable this go-round. Louise Erdrich is a genius!
================================

My rating hovers between 3 and 4 stars, but probably closer to 3 stars.

This was my first book by Louise Erdrich and I found it fascinating. I enjoyed feeling like I was living through summertime on a reservation with her characters. This was Joe's coming of age story and it included much what you'd expect from 13 year old boys! But Joe's mother is brutally attacked in this novel, which sets Joe and his friends on a mission to help the police identify her attacker and bring him to justice.

The reason I've rated this closer to 3 stars is because all of the 13 year old boy shenanigans were a bit too much for me and felt self-indulgent. If some of those scenes would have been edited or toned down, then this could have easily been a nearly 5 star book!!

“What life gives us, good or bad, we seldom deserve.”

I hadn’t heard a ton about the Cork O’Connor series from Krueger, but this was an Amazon Daily Deal a few weeks ago and I snapped it up because I love his stand alone novels. Imagine my surprise when I discovered there are 17 books in this series!

Cork O’Connor is part Irish, part Anishinaabe and used to be the Sheriff in Aurora, a rural Minnesota town. His marriage is on the rocks, he got voted out of office, and he’s living in an inherited burger joint, so things aren’t looking too bright for him this Christmas. And now he’s hearing the whisper of the Windigo, a vicious legend that calls out for people before they die, as seemingly unconnected deaths and disappearances start adding up to something bigger. What is happening in Aurora?

Cork is turning out to be an interesting character and I can’t wait to see him develop. I will definitely be returning to this series!

Merged review:

“What life gives us, good or bad, we seldom deserve.”

I hadn’t heard a ton about the Cork O’Connor series from Krueger, but this was an Amazon Daily Deal a few weeks ago and I snapped it up because I love his stand alone novels. Imagine my surprise when I discovered there are 17 books in this series!

Cork O’Connor is part Irish, part Anishinaabe and used to be the Sheriff in Aurora, a rural Minnesota town. His marriage is on the rocks, he got voted out of office, and he’s living in an inherited burger joint, so things aren’t looking too bright for him this Christmas. And now he’s hearing the whisper of the Windigo, a vicious legend that calls out for people before they die, as seemingly unconnected deaths and disappearances start adding up to something bigger. What is happening in Aurora?

Cork is turning out to be an interesting character and I can’t wait to see him develop. I will definitely be returning to this series!

There are some Buddhist philosophers (a branch referred to as Zen) who say that sometimes a bad thing happens to prevent a worse thing happening," Dr. Kellet said. "But, of course, there are some situations where it's impossible to imagine anything worse." page 160

Life after Life was recommended to me after reading End of Days and I'm so glad I prioritized it and got to it quickly. How do you even describe it? It is a series of overlapping realities, in which Ursula lives her life again and again as she tries to reach her true destiny. It was incredibly well written and beautifully shaped. This novel brings up so many questions about what would have happened throughout history if the right person was in the right place at the right time. "History is all about 'what ifs'" (page 473).

I loved so much about this book. Much of it takes place in various parts of Europe during WWII - totally my thing. Ursula's cozy childhood home is called Fox Corner and is the stuff of fairytales and Kate Morton novels (which are sort of the same thing?). She lived so many interesting lives and it was an incredible journey. It is endlessly discussable and I wish I would have read it with a book group. Why can't every book be THIS good?? I definitely experienced a book hangover after this one and had a difficult time landing on my next good read.

This is my first Pilcher! I picked it up thanks to a Fiction Matters buddy read and couldn't put it down. I have tried to write a summary but am finding that difficult. It was such a sweeping story - following fourteen year old Judith from pre-war Cornwall through WWII and the release of the prisoners held in internment camps in the East Indies by the Japanese. So many people came into Judith's life to help her through some difficult times and I loved meeting each and every one of them (except one or two horrible people).

Pilcher's writing is top-notch. I loved her descriptions and highlighted so many beautiful passages. Her settings made me want to take a dip in the sea, nurture my flowers and gardens, and bake steaming loaves of bread. Every scene felt intentional and carefully drawn. The homes she described fit the characters well and were so cozy. I loved how she told this story, moving from character to character, allowing us to understand their states of mind and intentions. I laughed, cried, and read furiously to find out what was going to happen. My edition is 930+ pages long and it was a strange juxtaposition: I wanted to know the resolution but I absolutely didn't want it to end. I can't wait to pick up another book by Rosamunde Pilcher in a few months.