Python's Kiss

by Louise Erdrich

If you are touched by the tongue of a snake, it is somehow good. It gives you wisdom and long life.

In Ojibwe mythology, Mishipeshu, a reptile with the head of a cat, stands sentinel at the gates of the underworld, where the mortal becomes eternal. Louise Erdrich’s remarkable story collection navigates this terrain where life and death are inextricably entwined. Python’s Kiss probes the essence of our humanity in moments both intimate and grand, inviting us to consider the nature of existence; the wonder, bravery, shame, loneliness, yearning, and terror that drive and define us.

Python’s Kiss opens with the acclaimed story “Nero,” originally published in The New Yorker, which explores the tragic transformation of a fierce and innocent spirit and the first stirrings of self-awareness. It is followed by twelve stories that exhibit the range of Louise Erdrich’s remarkable talent. In “Hollow Children,” a school bus driver experiences a terrifying realization during a freak spring blizzard. Collective consciousness and a woman’s longing for revenge transcend death in the near future “Domain.” “December 26” culminates in a terrible debt that must be paid. The final story, “The Stone,” is a reminder of our deep connection to the earth and those who came before us.

Featuring wives and husbands, spirit animals, ghosts, and talismans, betrayals and secrets, an artificial afterlife and a dangerous teenage game, Erdrich’s stories, at once intimate and universal, conjure up narrative worlds which capture our beauty and pain. Python’s Kiss is a gift from one of our greatest chroniclers of human fallibility and nobility, an imaginative and perceptive storyteller whose generosity of vision, wit, and lyricism sing from every page.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Indigenous, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Native American, Magical Realism

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2026

About the author

Louise Erdrich is one of the most gifted, prolific, and challenging of American novelists. Her fiction reflects aspects of her mixed heritage: German through her father, and French and Ojibwa through her mother. She is the author of many novels, the first of which, Love Medicine, won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the last of which, The Round House, won the National Book Award for Fiction in 2012. She lives in Minnesota.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars .
I’ve read at least a half a dozen of Louise Erdrich’s novels and loved most of them so I thought I would try this collection of some of her short stories. Short stories don’t always work for me and this one was a mixed bag . I think I prefer collections with stories that are connected. I honestly didn’t “get” some of them. None of these came close for me to three of her novels which I loved - LaRose, The Night Watchman, or Future Home of the Living God. Could be that the short stories just didn’t feel like enough at times, so I want to be sure to say that Erdrich is an amazing writer, who writes lovingly of he Native American heritage.

However , there are a few standouts that I found to be the moving and will remember . In THE HOLLOW CHILDREN, a school bus driver in a blizzard storm tries to save the children on the bus, and the experience leaves an indelible mark on him . I was touched by a young girl and asked myself who saved whom ? The WEDDING DRESSES is about a young girl curious to know more about her aunt’s marriages as she asks about the wedding dresses for her three marriages , but really wants to know more. The aunt provides enough information quietly respecting the girl’s age and innocence. AMELIA was also about the impact of circumstances beyond the understanding of a child that come to light as she matures . Even though, they didn’t all work for me, it won’t keep me from reading Erdrich’s novels.

I received a copy of this from HarperCollins through Edelweiss

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

our best living american writer tbh

[Book Riot Community]

Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:

If you've never read Louise Erdrich, I envy you the joy of discovery wherever you start in her extensive catalog. If you have read Louise Erdrich, you know that her signature blend of the sacred, the mundane, and the mythic is unlike anything else in contemporary fiction. Erdrich's stories are deeply human and real. Her writing is somehow both spare and lyrical. She's a master of her craft with a Pulitzer and National Book Award under her belt, and she routinely shows up as someday-contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. Wherever she wants to take me, I’m ready to go. —Rebecca Joines Schinsky

[Jennifer (formerly Eccentric Muse) · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG
NEW ERDRICH SHORT STORY COLLECTION ! ! ! ! ! !
THERE IS HOPE IN THIS HELLSCAPE WE'RE LIVING IN AFTER ALL.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those of us who have read her for years will recognize her characteristic mix of earthiness and spirituality with a sideways reference to the matters of the day. I must admit that the magical realism of some stories didn't reach me, but her other stories were pure gold.

[Holly R W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, Erdrich's collection of stories was a mixed bag for me. I started some stories and couldn't finish them. Some I found troubling. And, some I liked. The ones I liked were:

* Wedding Dresses - features an aunt telling her inquisitive niece about her four marriages, each one symbolized by her wedding dresses.

* Borsalino - is the story of a woman married to an abusive husband and how she was able to free herself. The borsalino is her remarkable hat with an inner snakeskin band, which has a part in the tale.

* Assassin - is a game that a mother's teen-aged daughter plays that is similar to paintball. In the midst of playing the game, the teen's friend puts herself in a risky situation. It has a twisty ending that was fun.

* December 26 - portrays a mother who slowly becomes aware that her 19 year old son is in deep trouble, criminally and otherwise. The story is heart-felt and multi-faceted.

* Amelia - is about a friendship between a high school senior and a retired man. She is a misfit at her school and he has some eccentricities. I found the story's ending to be a bit silly.


I am rating the collection 3 stars due to my mixed reaction.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been savoring every bit of Louise Erdrich's writing I can get my hands on since way back when Love Medicine first came out. In general, I am not a reader of short fiction. I like a tale I can sink into (even wallow about in). But I feel like if Erdrich strung together a passage of three words, it would speak to me. Erdrich's writing straddles the divide between magic and ordinary, between blessings and curses. Python's Kiss is no exception.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss+; the opinions are my own.

[Britta · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of short stories (some might be familiar as they're a compilation/reworking of works she has published in various literary publications), Louise Erdrich reminds me why she’s one of my very favorite authors. As in her other works, her characters feel like the folks you left behind in your small town. Her world-building is unlike any other author I've encountered, but there's a je na sa quois (did I spell the right??) about them that I just can't put my finger on. The worlds she creates feel familiar—like being reminded of a dream you'd had months or years before. This is quintessential Louise Erdrich, so you're sure to get everything you love about her from this book like I did. I'd still say LaRose or The Round House are my faves, but this was good.

Many center around the small fictional town of Tabor. In one, we follow a little girl as she watches her favorite uncle fall in love with a lady whose father is a formidable fighter. In another (my favorite) we ride along on a school bus as it rolls along lost on the prairie in a blizzard.

Most of the stories land just this side of magical realism (or maybe very very light sci-fi?) and I love them for it. Wonderful job, Louise Erdrich!

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

These dynamic stories feature quirky characters with a slightly off-kilter, and downright dangerous feel to them.

In trying to identify the major themes of the collection, I landed on:

the myriad of ways in which we reveal who we really are,

the power that is born of being underestimated,

our tendency to destroy as tied inextricably to our need to create,

the discovery that any safe place can also double as a prison,

the understanding that though we are shaped by more than just our experiences, they also leave indelible marks upon us.

Erdrich does such an exceptional job at painting a picture you can see in your mind's eye, and the character descriptions are equally precise. These stories must have been rattling around in her head a long time. You can see how much thought she put into each one, over a long time period.

The illustrations are also a really nice touch. I found myself returning to them as I wandered deeper into each story.

Most of the stories pack a punch. Only two seem to lack the gravitas of the others. Your mileage may vary. Still, the anguish in most of these stories is hard, fast, and lingering.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect stories about imperfect people.

There are some speculative fiction stories in here, so I wanted to see what Erdrich did with science fictional or fantasy elements. However, the stories that I liked most were those that didn't have those elements. like 'Big Cat' and 'Wedding Dresses'. (Well, perhaps 'Borsalino', with the eternal guide to Venice, is an exception.)

Erdrich's stories are full of pathos and regret, but some are actually quite funny. 'Big Cat' has a lengthy description of a highlights reel of all the little moments in hundreds of movies a bit player showed up on screen, and some hilarious descriptions of people snoring. If snoring was an Olympic sport, these would be gold medalists.

[Darryl Suite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story collection had banger after banger, and now I’m convinced that Louise Erdrich is a literary shapeshifter, consistently reinventing her style to keep things fresh and unpredictable.


I’m more motivated than ever to read through her entire bibliography. I felt this after reading her novels THE ROUND HOUSE and THE MIGHTY RED, stanning each for different reasons. She seems to put her everything into whatever she’s writing. Complex leap off the page characters; massive outpourings of raw emotions; heartily riveting plots. You know there’s going to be pain, soul-crushing pain. Whenever Erdrich’s name pops up in literary circles, the word prolific tends to always come up, and that’s exactly the right word to describe her and her work. The shoe fits.


So, with this short story collection, I had the same feeling of immediacy. (I’ve already taken downmy copy of novel LAROSE off my shelf to read by month’s end.) These stories are excellent and went into surprising directions. Most produced one pivotal moment, usually during the middle of said story, that stopped me in my tracks, totally reconfiguring my initial impressions on the kind of story I thought I was getting. Tonal shifts and genre mashups; surprising bouts of elation and unexpected hits of brutality.


There are 13 stories. All did their thing. I’ll give you a bit of insight on my Top 5:

THE HOLLOW CHILDREN : a school bus gets stuck in a sudden blizzard, causing the bus driver to go through a harrowing, life-altering experience. I read it three times. No joke, I think it’s become my second fave short story ever!!!!!

DOMAIN : A full-blown sci-fi about a woman who wants to give up the functionalities and sensations of her entire body where all she will be left with is her memories.

DECEMBER 26 : A troubled son and his newfound pet snake, but it’s what the snake is used for that makes this such an unsettling roller coaster.

BORSALINO : A woman has a lasting (and sinister) connection to Venice and her favorite hat. This one has some real gasp-worthy moments.

AMELIA : KFC is responsible for this girl going to college and having a bright future. Yeah, you heard me. Read the story to find out about the Colonel and his twin sister.


Woof, Louise Erdrich, I love your writing. Imagery that keeps haunting my imagination. Breathtaking prose that has the capacity to make my blood curdle just as much as it makes me smile in awe and admiration . I got LAROSE queued up. Because, girl, you gots the goods.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection really surprised me. What an incredible range! And the illustrations were beautiful.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Synopsis: Written over the past two decades, Louise Erdrich’s magnificent story collection features a range of characters—a tribal newsletter editor whose son tells her a story that nothing in her experience can encompass, immigrant farmers whose tenuous hold on the earth, and sanity, is challenged, and ordinary people, bird lovers, artists, grade-school teachers, and romantics. A girl decides to spend her life with a stone. A man is confronted with a folk-singing thief. A woman enters a corporately owned afterlife to seek revenge on her father.

I love Louise Erdrich - her ability for storytelling is dynamic and compelling. This is an excellent collection of her short stories she has written over the past two decades. I flew through this in a single day! As with all short story collections, I enjoyed some more than others. I definitely have some favorites in here that were incredibly unique and interesting, demanding my attention entirely, while others did not speak to me as much. I will say there is a wide variety of genres, characters, settings, and situations in these stories, switching up the narrative from one to the next. Overall, this is a fantastic collection that I would highly recommend to others, especially if you enjoy her other works.

I think it is also worth mentioning that the collaboration on this collection was a family affair, which I did not learn until after finishing it - the cover art was done by Louise’s daughter Aza and the narrator of the audiobook was her daughter Pallas! The cover art is absolutely stunning and the narration was excellent and engaging as well! I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy from the publisher but also was able to get my hands on the audiobook so I could do an immersive read and it significantly elevated my reading experience.

Thank you to Louise Erdrich, Harper, and NetGalley for the gifted copy! This is a voluntary and honest review.

[Nick O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a free advance copy of this book on Goodreads, so I suppose it's only good form to share my thoughts. This really isn't a review, it's just a record of my thoughts as I read through each story, trying to figure out what each was about. These thoughts will probably make little sense to you.

I will also say that I really dig Erdrich’s writing, her mythic and magical realism, and her shout-outs to Minnesota that perfuse her works. I feel this weird pride about living in the same community as her.

***

These are stories about children, and death, not snakes per se. Children who, despite honest and curious engagement with the world, do not see the fullness of the world we inhabit, with its dangers and cruelties and inequities. Or perhaps they just experience the world differently than we adults do, or remember having done? Or maybe they do see the darkness in the world, and just manage it better? Or worse? Children and death, though, not snakes.

Pythons Kiss
A child witnesses suffering and jealousy, but only just begins to think of blame. She sees an uncle who tames others, through charm or persistence or cruelty or brute force. What doesn’t a child notice, or remember? If a python's kiss gives you a blessing, it's the mercy of ignorance. Or maybe just the opposite, and now the child is just waking up to reality?

Wedding Dresses
The tension between an honest recounting of past love-and-loss, and what you’d tell a child about the world.

The Hollow Children
A child, calm, wise and unafraid in the face of near annihilation, giving comfort to a man who nearly couldn’t manage his responsibility to her. Did she even exist? Was she, in fact ... a snake? j/k

Love of My Days
My favorite story in this book. Also thematically distinct from the rest of the collection, unless you squint a bit and see family lore being told to the grandkids. A man, given a second chance at life after a near-death experience, takes a darker path. The reader is escorted through the action from one perspective to another (and without resorting to those choppy chapterized rotating perspectives — IYKYK), including from that of a horse! The characters inhabit a tight knit rural community, but seemingly lack connection, that is, until the last page when much is made clear. At times I wondered what the hell this story was going to be about, but in retrospect every hint had been placed just so. So many themes and impressions fit within a mere 13 pages, a lovingly edited story that could easily be 10 times its length. Imagine a Cormac McCarthy western left on the stove for a few days, reducing away.

This collection should really be titled Love of My Days (which incidentally could work in support of the themes about children). But alas no asp, I guess.

There are also some typos in my copy -- hopefully the author decides on the name of the Deputy before the final version goes to print!

Domain
A woman seeks revenge upon her father in the afterlife, a story with a twist you see coming miles away. Written like Philip K Dick's take on the Pieta.

Asphodel
Be careful what you wish for. A woman learns in the afterlife that the bottled genie is a trickster. Her daughter bests that genie. This one is also Philip K Dick's take on the Pieta.

Borsalino
A surprisingly dark tale of regret and menace, with a resolution only made possible by the selflessness of a mother. If a python's kiss gives you a blessing, it's that of perserverence.

Assassin
The games that children play, how children choose to interact with each other, as a reflection (or simulation) of the environment they grow up in. Note: this game is an actual thing here in the Twin Cities.

December 26
Most heartfelt. When a son reaches adulthood, and experiences the Consequences of his poor decisions, what responsibilities does a mom have? If a python's kiss gives you a blessing, it's that of a second chance, but the universe will always take its pound of flesh.

The Feral Troubadour
This is that “Squirrel Cop” tale from a late 90’s episode of This American Life, except every conceivable role has been reversed.

Big Cat
Parents sacrifice their dreams for the well-being of a child, but then the husband can’t sustain the relationship. They are brought back together first by familiarity, but then by guilt. Was their reunion really an elaborate ploy by the jaded wife? Is this renewed relationship sustainable? Lots of snoring but no snakes.

Amelia
A lovely tale about a child piecing together a mystery, with a twist I didn’t see coming until I was meant to. No snakes, but plenty of bad cole slaw.

The Stone
We ascribe meaning to things. Things can give us confidence and comfort, maybe, but they do not have agency except what we invent in our minds. The stone is a metaphor. But not a snake.

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The python had, what, tasted me, scented me? Kissed me?”

New term I learned - ‘pretendian’ - a fake Indian

I was lucky enough to have read two of these stories, “The Hollow Children” “Love of My Days” a few years back in the New Yorker!
I really liked “Wedding Dresses”! I did not enjoy “Domain” or “Asphodel”.
“Assassin” request hit home as I have a teenage daughter who also really only talks to me when we are driving AND just finished playing a game like that at her school!
And overall, I just really enjoyed reading this collection, except for the two mentioned before. I was super tickled at the way in which the author described different family's snoring sounds in "Big Cat", and her descriptions of people, places, and events throughout the book really made me feel like a part of each story! She's just an amazing author!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Louise Erdrich (how have I never read her before?)! This was an interesting introduction to her writing and while she's clearly a very skilled and engaging writer, I found this collection a bit uneven (as many short story collections are). Some stories really captivated me, and others dragged a bit. I was also surprised that two stories were clearly related, but most others were not (although some of them take place in the same universe).

My favorite stories were Wedding Dresses, Domain, Borsalino, and Amelia! I didn't quite connect with Love of My Days and December 26.

[Stephan Benzkofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This selection of short stories sizzles. Provocative. Exciting. Thrilling. Varied.

This edition is illustrated to great effect by the author's daughter. Her art opens each story, and I enjoyed going back to the illustrations after finishing each one. The images helped me encounter the story in fresh ways, like flash-reading them a second time.

[Care · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Just when I was saying short stories aren't for me, they just aren't punchy as often as I want them to be...I'm entranced by my favourite author. What do I know? What is this mere reader to a god? 🙌🏻 I'm born again.

Sure, there's a couple in here that don't hit as hard as the rest. But it's a stunning ratio and there's no duds. There are some new all-time favourite short stories in this collection. Erdrich continues to enchant me with her rich characterization, funny dialogue, and original concepts.

"Python's Kiss", "Wedding Dresses", and "The Hollow Children" are the most accomplished three stories in the collection and open us up to her imaginative and confident voice. They're devastating, memorable, and capture so much intensity in just a few pages.

I love the snake theme running through several of the stories including "Python's Kiss", "Borsalino", and "December 26". A rhythm that runs through and binds them together without sacrificing their individuality.

The science fiction afterlife world we're introduced to in "Domain" and "Asphodel" is weird and wonderful. Hard to describe, but captivating to read.

I laughed at a troubadour, cried for a dog, felt the cold of an April blizzard and a frozen field and the warmth of moss. As always, I bow down to the master. She doesn't have a golden era, it's been this way the whole time. From Love Medicine and Jacklight to Python's Kiss.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!!! Louise Erdrich has done it again. When stories stay with me for days then I know I’ve read something wonderful. Rush and get this book!!

[Julia Deziel · Rating 5 out of 5]

no notes!!!!!

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

I love Erdrich's voice and writing style and this feels like one of the most cohesive short story collections I've read. Everything worked well together and there were no clear duds like you get with most short story collections. This is as close to a 5 star collection as I'm ever likely to get.

[Alena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a Erdrich fan. I love how all of her writing is suffused in her perspective as a Native American. In the case of the short story collection, the stories are not necessarily about the Native American experience but it is the base layer for every story’s perspective. And I appreciate it.
However, I think I prefer Errich in novel form. As with her books, there are many layers to her storytelling and her characters are never easy. She caught my attention in each story but it took me a while to catch her rhythm and, by the time I was in the groove, the story was ending. Plus, as with her novels, there’s so much sadness and heartbreak, and in short story format it feels relentless.
So, certainly not my favorite Erdrich, but still high quality writing and something that is unlike anything else I’ve been reading. It doesn’t fit neatly into any of Goodreads stars so I’m going right down the middle.

[John Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these stories best - about half of this collection:

Python's Kiss
Wedding Dresses
The Hollow Children
Love of My Days
December 26
Amelia

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Favorites were the title story, Big Cat, and Amelia. I wondered how much of Borsalino was based off of real life... a very unsettling story. I did not especially care for the sci-fi stories, but loved the others enough to make up for it.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will read just about any Erdrich. Her first short story collection spanned 30 years and was of a piece with a lot of her novels. She’s getting weirder with it here in a lovely way. The stories are sometimes Minnesota native stories, and sometimes more like faerie stories, a little spooky or surreal. I liked each of them, like a variety chocolate box.

[Josh Mlot · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Classic Erdrich, but wonderful to get it packaged as short stories. Wonderful writing and words that just seep a richness that’s hard to put a finger on. She really shows off her range in this collection; I enjoyed some stories more than others, but the floor is high and there are a few stories that really shined. The collection came to an end and I just wanted more.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5. I adored the first three stories, then it got weird (but I can appreciate the experimentalism), then another great story, then the rest were okay. Similar to my experience reading Erdrich’s novels so far, and pretty much any short story collection. This collection also had strong Jhumpa Lahiri vibes.

[Judi]

I really enjoyed most of the stories in this compilation. There were a couple I could have done without, but even they gave me somthing to think about.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Louise Erdrich rarely disappoints and this collection puts her splendid story-telling talent on display for all to enjoy. And the illustrations only add to the appeal.
My favorite piece: Wedding Dresses

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Thirteen stories that were far from Erdrich’s norm. Maybe she just needed to get these on paper and out of her head? Still love this author but liking her older books better.