The Sentence, Louise Erdrich, author and narrator
The book is about books and words, some common, some unique, and some completely unknown to most readers; it is about words that make up the sentences that send us messages, whispered, written or shouted into the void. It is about the influence of the sentences that propel us through life. It is about the double meaning of words at different times of our lives, and the author presents the message in the form of chapters that seem like anecdotal memories of moments in her life that are somehow meaningfully knitted together. In the end, they form a coherent whole or paragraph, shall we say. At the very end, the sentence used as an example explains the entire purpose of the book. Although it does not present an uplifting message, the end is more hopeful as it tells us not only to live, but to go out and love. This, in today's tumultuous times, is a very necessary idea. There is too much conflict, anger and foreboding in our lives.
Every progressive issue will be mentioned in this book since the author uses is as a platform to express her philosophy clearly. It is done well and will be enjoyed greatly by those who are on her side, especially. Others, however, might be alienated and take offense. In the author’s effort to not only stress, but to make her politics and philosophy known, the book sometimes feels a bit like propaganda for the Progressives. She highlights issues of racism, police brutality, unhealthy diet and lifestyles, crime, climate change, prison reform, an unfair and subjective justice system, a lack of respect for the environment, and countless other left-wing issues in all of her little reminiscences, legends and myths from her ancestors, family, friends and fellow workers, but she offers no real solutions for the problems.
Using the current events of the day, like the death of George Floyd, the riots in Minneapolis that followed, the defund the police movement, and the rise of BLM, coupled with the current, continuing pandemic crisis, she trashes the "right" side of politics and President Trump, never once giving him any credit for any of his accomplishments, notably a vaccine, the fastest developed in history, for a disease that was and is still killing thousands. Her views are biased and she is speaking to only half of the country, and possibly turning off the other half, regardless of how meritorious her novel may actually be.
The main character, Tookie, is an ex-convict. She was convicted of stealing a dead body to soothe her friend Danae, who was having a moment of deep and uncontrollable grief. Of course, the $25,000 payment she was offered influenced her already flawed judgment. Unknown to her, the friend turned out to be an enemy, taking advantage of her extreme immaturity and naivete. Her friend Danae and her accomplice Mara, had made Tookie a mule. Drugs were hidden on the body she transported across state lines, compounding her crime. Although they set her up, she was sentenced to a term of six decades, while her friends received far lighter sentences. Released after ten years because of the efforts of the cop she married, Pollux, she begins to live again, although with a lot of emotional and psychological baggage. Plagued by her own guilt, loneliness and haunted by ghosts, real and imagined, she proceeds to work out her future life.
Using Pollux, the author further expresses her politics as we learn that he wonders if he should kneel along with the rioting protesters who want to ensure that Derek Chauvin is convicted for the murder of Floyd. His first wife died of a drug overdose. His daughter, Hetta, from that marriage, has recently borne a child, Jarvis, out of wedlock. Laurent is the father. He is the very same Laurent, who disappears and resurfaces to have a relationship with Tookie’s bookstore workmate, Asema. When Asema and Hetta become friends, it further stretches credulity. Laurent is afraid that he is carrying a terrible, inherited trait that will be passed on to their child. It is called Rugaroo. Those with it refuse to die. They repeatedly return back to life. He believes that his problems have been watered down through the years, with far less serious consequences. He merely suffers from cravings, he believes. He admits that he was afraid Hetta would reject him, so he ran. They all, except for Tookie, participate in the protests that often became very violent. Somehow, the real and unreal parts of the narrative do merge into an interesting, if not very plausible, tale.
Because the author used the book almost as propaganda to trash former President Trump, I was very disappointed. I have had just about enough of Trump Derangement Syndrome, especially with the way the current White house is conducting our affairs. It is time for a reality check for her and many readers. On the positive side, I learned that blue, like red, wards off the evil eye. I also learned that although I lived in Minnesota, just 12 miles from Minneapolis, I was never aware of racial problems while I resided there.
In addition, this author should not have read her own book. She was too close to the story, over emoted, and spoke with a throaty, bordering on sexy, voice which more often than not, made me sleepy.