Plagued by the Past

In November, members of the South River Book Discussion Group met to talk about the 2008 book The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich. This book is the first in a loose trilogy; the other two titles are The Round House (2012) and LaRose (2016). This first title covers many generations within the same town (and often, within the same family lines) as they deal with the fallout of a heinous crime and a vicious reprisal.

In addition to discussing The Plague of Doves, members enjoyed a treat of frybread with honey, a traditional Native American food mentioned in the book several times. Below are some resources to further your understanding of the book.

"... from the KC kitchen ovens great roasters of meat soup, baked beans, frybread, potatoes, and roasted chicken were being lugged to the serving table. We’d pass by and fill our plates, eat in an exciting good-natured garble of cheer." 

Author Bios & Interviews 

• http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04092010/profile.html
• https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/louise-erdrich
• https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=90167624
• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/books/louise-erdrich-on-her-new-novel-larose-and-the-psychic-territory-of-native-americans.html
• https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6055/louise-erdrich-the-art-of-fiction-no-208-louise-erdrich

Book Reviews 

• https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/18/fiction.reviews 
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/24/AR2008042403018.html
• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/books/29kaku.html
• http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/27/books/bk-frase27
• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/books/review/Barcott-t.html

Discussion Questions  

• http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/fiction/790-plague-of-doves-erdrich?start=3 
• http://www.thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/plague-of-doves.pdf

Historical Background 

• Louis Riel: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel/ 
• Mustache Maude: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/the-real-cowboys-of-n-d/article_976b59e8-353d-5c29-8fa8-1d8e5a88f8cb.html
• Erdrich said the book's core story of the murder/lynching was inspired by true events. This one she specifically referenced in an interview: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18971115.2.4. I suspect this one had a role to play in her imagination as well, given the similarities of some details: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-wolf-family-murders-north-dakotas-most-brutal_us_57fbe48ae4b0b665ad818798

Miscellany

• Frybread recipe: https://thestayathomechef.com/authentic-indian-fry-bread/
• A couple of readers' attempts at making a family tree for the novel's many characters:
• https://bookclubcats.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/plague_of_doves_family_tree_.pdf
• https://prezi.com/esb8g1jvnldm/copy-of-copy-of-plague-of-doves-family-tree/
• The short story version of a chapter in this book (other parts of the book were also previously published in magazines and anthologies): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/06/28/the-plague-of-doves
• Review of Erdrich's most recently published novel: https://www.npr.org/2017/11/14/562339935/louise-erdrich-delivers-a-dystopian-feminist-thriller-in-future-home