The Sentence (2021 novel)

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The Sentence is a 2021 novel by American author Louise Erdrich.^[1]

Set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the story concerns Tookie, an Indigenous woman who is haunted by Flora, a former customer at the bookstore where Tookie works. The book reveals that Flora, a white social worker who fraudulently identifies as Indigenous, has become a ghost due to her immense shame over being descended from a woman who enslaved and tortured Indigenous women.

The action unfolds primarily within Birchbark Books, a small independent bookstore that is a fictionalized version of the real Birchbark Books, which is currently owned by Louise Erdrich. Erdrich has several cameo appearances in the novel.

The novel spans one year, from All Souls' Day 2019 to All Souls' Day 2020, encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the subsequent protests and civil unrest.

Tookie, a formerly incarcerated Indigenous woman who found solace in books during her time in prison, now works at Birchbark Books. On All Souls' Day, the store's most annoying customer, Flora, dies suddenly while reading a mysterious book. Soon after, Tookie begins to suspect that Flora's spirit is haunting the bookstore, causing mischief and whispering in her ear. While Tookie is the primary target of Flora's haunting, her colleagues at the bookstore gradually acknowledge the presence of the ghost as well.

Flora's daughter gives Tookie the book Flora was reading when she died, an unsettling tome titled The Sentence, leading Tookie to believe that it contains a sentence that killed Flora. As Tookie delves into the mysterious book, she finds herself haunted not only by Flora's ghost but also by painful incidents from her own past. As Tookie grapples with the aftermath of her traumatic upbringing and her incarceration, she struggles to maintain her grip on her life.

The book also reveals that Flora, through her genealogical research, discovered she was descended from a white woman who had enslaved and tortured Indigenous women, including Tookie's ancestor. This revelation adds another layer of complexity to the haunting, as Flora's guilt and remorse over her family's crimes fuel her desire for connection and forgiveness from Tookie. The relationship between Tookie and Flora is complicated even more by the revelation that Flora, a social worker, took care of Tookie and her mother when Tookie's mother succumbed to drug addiction.

The novel follows Tookie through the ups and downs of her personal life, including her marriage to Pollux, an Indigenous man and former police officer who develops COVID-19 during the first months of the pandemic. Before Pollux becomes ill, the racial tensions and social unrest in Minneapolis following George Floyd's murder have already strained his relationship with Tookie, forcing both of them to confront difficult truths about race, justice, and the morally ambiguous authority wielded by police officers. Pollux's daughter, Hetta, also plays a significant role in the story, as Hetta enlists Tookie and Pollux in the care and raising of her newborn son, Jarvis.

Throughout the year, Tookie and her colleagues meet a variety of customers, including an enigmatic bookseller and scholar named Laurent. Laurent's knowledge of Indigenous folklore and his seemingly supernatural abilities hint at a possible connection to the spirit world, leading Tookie to question whether he might be a "rugaroo," a shape-shifting creature from Anishinaabe mythology.

These events and encounters intertwine with the broader events unfolding in the city and the world. Tookie's journey of self-discovery and healing is interwoven with the collective struggles of her community and the nation, ultimately leading to a hopeful resolution on All Souls' Day 2020, as Tookie finds a way to forgive Flora, and lay her troubled spirit to rest, and Pollux begins to recover from COVID-19.

Hetta: Pollux's daughter, a young Indigenous woman trying to understand her ancestry and place in the world. Laurent is the father of her son, although for most of the book it appears he has abandoned her to raise her child alone.

Asema: A young woman who works at Birchbark Books and becomes involved in the mystery surrounding Flora's ghost.

Grief and loss: The novel delves into the different ways people cope with grief and the lingering presence of the dead.

Social justice and racial reckoning: The story addresses the issues of racial injustice and police brutality, particularly in the wake of George Floyd's murder.

The power of stories: Erdrich highlights the importance of books and storytelling in providing solace, connection, and understanding. The book is also metafiction, particularly since it contains a fictional book with the same title (“The Sentence”) as the novel itself, and blurs the line separating real places, authors, and literary works from imaginary characters, texts, and events.

Resilience and community: The novel celebrates the resilience of individuals and communities in the face of adversity, injustice, and tragedy.

Intergenerational trauma and healing: The story explores the lasting impact of historical atrocities and the potential for healing through difficult acts of understanding and forgiveness.

The Sentence received positive reviews from critics, who praised Erdrich's storytelling, her nuanced characters, and her ability to capture the spirit of a tumultuous time. The novel was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

• Goodreads page for The Sentence
• Louise Erdrich's website