The Night Watchman

By: Louise Erdrich

Narrated by: Louise Erdrich

Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.

Thomas Wazhushk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new “emancipation” bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. It is 1953 and he and the other council members know the bill isn’t about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a “termination” that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity. How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith with Native Americans “for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run”?

Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. Unlike most of the girls on the reservation, Patrice, the class valedictorian, has no desire to wear herself down with a husband and kids. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice’s shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny to follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn’t been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life.

Thomas and Patrice live in this impoverished reservation community along with young Chippewa boxer Wood Mountain and his mother Juggie Blue, her niece and Patrice’s best friend Valentine, and Stack Barnes, the white high school math teacher and boxing coach who is hopelessly in love with Patrice. 

In the Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.

©2020 Louise Erdrich (P)2020 HarperAudio

Beautiful

Louise Erdrich is an incredible author. I think I would have to be her to write a review that could do this justice but I’ll try- I enjoyed the Night Watchman so much that I’m going to buy a copy so that I can reread it, and so that I can dog ear the pages-there many profound and poetic moments in this book: “what was it to be dreamed of by a bear?” I will be recommending this one widely. Also this book is read by the author, and her voice is wonderful.

Fantastic Introduction Into the Chippewa Life

Apologies in advance... Ms. Erdrich uses the terms Native Americans and Indigenous in articles, but some prefer the name Indian. Even though there are several bands of Chippewa and other tribes named in the book, I will use the blanket "Chippewa" for the review of the book and American Tribal Bands for others in our country. I apologize if I offend anyone from any Tribal Band.

Despite having seen a few movies about the life of American Tribes and subsequently learning how awful they (the movies) were, it was so wonderful to read Erdrich's _The Night Watchman_ and know that she knows whence she speaks.

I loved the flowing prose of moving between worlds, To the Chippewa, it was/is simply another dimension I am not aware enough to recognize. Through her writing, I could imagine living in a place where ghosts were common, guiding the living at times... where the sky lit up, not just with the Northern Lights, but with drummers and singers, offering knowledge and comfort to those that noticed they were there.

I listened to the book (which Ms. Erdrich read beautifully, Chippewa words and all) and felt the shifts in location, situations and emotions easily and with clarity.

Such a wonderful book. I loved it.

Impressive but disjointed poetic novel

This novel is impossible to rate. Instead of a straightforward plot, this was more like a series of interrelated short stories. The writing was amazing, almost poetic. I see why others loved this book, but it did not totally work for me. I had a hard time keeping the characters and loose plot lines straight. I finally stopped trying, and tried to enjoy each little vignette as an stand-alone story. I began to enjoy it more. In the last third of the book, the two main story lines solidified. Thomas (based on the author's grandfather) was trying to fight the US government's abolition of their North Dakota Chippewa tribe. Meanwhile, Patrice traveled to a big city in search of her sister and her sister's child. This books portrays the best and worst of tribal life, including Native American mysticism (well done, but not my thing). In short, I enjoyed many parts but not the book as a whole. After twice biking through North Dakota reservations, I am glad I listened, and saw an inside look at tribal life. This was the most impressive book that I didn't love, but liked enough to finish.

Best one yet

Fabulously read by the author, this book is captivating, amusing, heartbreaking, informative, and all-around perfect. I had to ration myself to only several hours a day so I could prolong the pleasure, and now that I'm done, I want to listen again immediately to the whole book,

Bait and Switch

Louise Erdrich made a big pitch for her new book being about Native American history in 1950’s. Instead it was a very slow slog of sex among post adolescent. What a bore and useless in terms of educating non-native Americans about a little known chapter in American history. Don’t bother!

Took My Breath Away!

My highest recommendation for The Night Watchman. It becomes increasingly poetic through the end. Imaginative and at times humorous in a way that only Louise Erdrich can do and yet simple and grounded and real. You will love these characters, taste their food, and feel their deep sorrows but also celebrate their daily hopes and grand triumphs. The Night Watchman must become a classic.

Interesting story well told (and read).

The Author happens to be a talented reader - this is a rare treat for the listener. The title character, based on the Author's grandfather, was especially intriguing - a humble man possessing great wisdom. It is a multi-character narrative where all of the voices and perspectives feel authentic; the products of their place and time. Highly recommended for those who enjoyed The Round House.

Okay

I didn’t think this story was bad it just had too many characters for me and the storyline switched a lot. I thought it was going to be more mysterious when they went to find her sister but nothing ever came of that. Just a lot of lose ends to the many different plot lines for me.

Underwhelming

This book has a great premise that never takes fire -- it turns out to be more of a situation than a story. Erdrich is a skilled wordsmith, which makes parts of Watchmen a joy to read (or listen to -- the author is a terrific narrator.) However, you get the feeling this book could have been much more interesting if Erdrich had abandoned the based-on-a-true-story premise and just gone with a compelling narrative.

The NIght Watchman

I stayed up half the night listening to this good story. I gives you an interesting picture of Native Americans and all of their problems.