‘The Sentence’ by Louise Erdrich

Small bookstores have the romance of doomed intimate spaces about to be erased by unfettered capitalism.

Set in Minneapolis, ‘The Sentence’ by Louise Erdrich is about incarceration, ghosts, bookstores, the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, community, drug abuse, and the battles we face.

While most of the book takes place in 2019 and 2020, it begins earlier with Tookie’s time in prison and the reasons for her incarceration. After her release, she starts working at an independent bookstore with a surprising boss, which is haunted by Flora, a wannabe (!) Native American who died unexpectedly.

Although the topics in the book are heavy, I enjoyed reading it! The author approaches many political and difficult topics through the eyes of Tookie, her family, and her friends. Even the pandemic plot was excellent! There are also some queer characters, making it a must-read!

CW: grief, addiction, trauma, death, domestic abuse, mental health struggles, racism, violence