The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse

A Novel

By: Louise Erdrich

Narrated by: Anna Fields

For more than a half century, Father Damien Modeste has served his beloved people, the Ojibwe, on the remote reservation of Little No Horse. Now, nearing the end of his life, Father Damien dreads the discovery of his physical identity, for he is a woman who has lived as a man. To complicate his fears, his quiet life changes when a troubled colleague comes to the reservation to investigate the life of the perplexing, difficult, possibly false saint Sister Leopolda.

Father Damien alone knows the strange truth of Sister Leopolda's piety and is faced with the most difficult decision of his life: Should he reveal all he knows and risk everything? Or should he manufacture a protective history though he believes Leopolda's wonder-working is motivated by evil?

©2001 Louise Erdrich (P)2001 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Book Sense Book of the Year Award Finalist, Adult Fiction, 2002
• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Personal Development/Motivational

"Erdrich's prose is beautiful and the tale fascinating and enjoyable." (AudioFile)
"Erdrich renders her North Dakota world of the Ojibwe with a lyrical and richly metaphorical prose style....Fields has a pleasing voice, a fine feel for the material and the characters and a knack for low-key dramatization." (Publishers Weekly)
"This is Erdrich writing at the peak of her powers, embracing both the earthy sensuality and abiding spirituality of her characters and energizing the whole with a raucous humor that is at once self-deprecating and life-enhancing." (Booklist)

Certainly Fanciful

I never knew what would happen. Lots of arbitrary rules appeared out of nowhere that Father Damien had to adhere to. I would have said no let’s talk about this. I know a famous pirate turned out to be a woman. It happens. Good story.

Beautiful writing, good narration

I loved this book. The lilt of the narrators voice was a joy. Erdrich is an extremely talented writer. The descriptions were beautiful- I felt like I was there. The characters had depth. The story was intriguing- it is more a spiritual tale of one’s life well lived. I will read it again.

Complex and multi-layered

I have read some Louise Ehrdrich's more recent work. This is denser and more layered. I am amazed by the range of her writing. On one hand, the crystalline, ecstatic description of a young Agnes playing Chopin in the convent. On the other, the hilarious account of Nanabush and the moose. It all has the ring of authenticity.

This quote from the text, “What is the whole of our existence, but the sound of an appalling love.”

I loved the beautiful complexity of each character. The characters who often hold more than one name in this grand story, our numerous, so the breeders joy of this book may be increased by jotting down a note or two along the way reminders of how these names fit into the story. That labor will be rewarded many times over. In addition, I listened to this book on Audible and found the readers voice to add a most enjoyable texture to the authors words.

Complexity

The story interweaves a complex tangle of relationships across cultures, generations, and genders to show in the end what matters most is love.

Quite a story!

This is a fascinating tale that takes the reader through a very eventful and changeful life. Father Damian Modeste and Agnes are not two characters that I will easily forget. The character not mentioned is the reservation on which Father Modeste serves himself; it is a wonderful and rich place. The reader does a great job at capturing the spirit of Agnes and her alter ego.

This might the best book I have ever read!

It's funny, crazy, beautifully written and simply engrossing from the very beginning. The narrator is wondrous! I was wrapped up immediately. Go for it! It is not a gamble, buying this book. It's a sure thing.

Fantastic storytelling

I’m sad to finish ‘The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse’. It’s like saying a final goodbye to a beloved friend. The author created such believable and relatable characters. I appreciate Louise Erdrich for sharing a culture I would otherwise know nothing about. This story will be with me for a long time.

Beautiful story telling

A beautifully written, meandering story with a vibrant cast of characters ( that at times, were hard to keep track of ) Not a page turner, but a expertly woven story of people and place.

Fascinating story. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing it to life with the multitude of characters.

Louise Erdrich brought a portion of the country to life that I was not familiar with in past readings. I loved Agnes/Father Damian.