Tracks on a Page: Louise Erdrich, Her Life and Works

by Frances Washburn

This book details the intersections between the personal life and exceptional writing of Louise Erdrich, perhaps the most critically and economically successful American Indian author ever.

Known for her engrossing explorations of Native American themes, Louise Erdrich has created award-winning novels, poetry, stories, and more for three decades. Tracks on a Louise Erdrich, Her Life and Works examines Erdrich's oeuvre in light of her experiences, her gender, and her heritage as the daughter of a Chippewa mother and German-American father.

The book covers Erdrich from her birth to the present, offering fresh information and perspectives based on original research. By interweaving biography and literary analysis, the author, who is herself Native American, gives readers a complete and nuanced understanding of the ways in which Erdrich's identity as a woman and an American Indian have influenced her life and her writing. Tracks on a Page is the first, book-length work to approach Erdrich and her works from a non-Euro-Western perspective. It contextualizes both life and writing through the lenses of American Indian history, politics, economics, and culture, offering readers new and intriguing ways to appreciate this outstanding author.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2012

Reviews

[August Schau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of essays looking at the life and work of Pulitzer Prize winning author Louis Erdrich. I had hoped for more from the subject, but can see why that might no have worked. Enough quotes are provided to set some context.

[John Acy Reinhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accessible literary criticism of the works of Louise Erdrich, and a fascinating biographical scan.