Python's Kiss

by Louise Erdrich

From Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich, a captivating collection of short stories

It was as though I was chosen—marked out by the python’s kiss for wisdom or maybe sorrow. Or perhaps, I think now, a sense of the ridiculous in extremes of experience. Also, I hoped for a long life.

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.

Accompanied by specially commissioned artwork by Aza Erdrich Abe—an intimate and revelatory creative collaboration between mother and daughter—these stories offer an oppor­tunity to celebrate the wisdom and brilliant, wide-ranging imagination of one of America’s most important writers.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Indigenous, Native American, Fantasy, Short Story Collection

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2026

About the author

Karen Louise Erdrich is a American author of novels, poetry, and children's books. Her father is German American and mother is half Ojibwe and half French American. She is an enrolled member of the Anishinaabe nation (also known as Chippewa). She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant Native writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance.

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/louise-e...

From a book description:

Author Biography:

Louise Erdrich is one of the most gifted, prolific, and challenging of contemporary Native American novelists. Born in 1954 in Little Falls, Minnesota, she grew up mostly in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where her parents taught at Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. Her fiction reflects aspects of her mixed heritage: German through her father, and French and Ojibwa through her mother. She worked at various jobs, such as hoeing sugar beets, farm work, waitressing, short order cooking, lifeguarding, and construction work, before becoming a writer. She attended the Johns Hopkins creative writing program and received fellowships at the McDowell Colony and the Yaddo Colony. After she was named writer-in-residence at Dartmouth, she married professor Michael Dorris and raised several children, some of them adopted. She and Michael became a picture-book husband-and-wife writing team, though they wrote only one truly collaborative novel, The Crown of Columbus (1991).

The Antelope Wife was published in 1998, not long after her separation from Michael and his subsequent suicide. Some reviewers believed they saw in The Antelope Wife the anguish Erdrich must have felt as her marriage crumbled, but she has stated that she is unconscious of having mirrored any real-life events.

She is the author of four previous bestselling andaward-winning novels, including Love Medicine; The Beet Queen; Tracks; and The Bingo Palace. She also has written two collections of poetry, Jacklight, and Baptism of Desire. Her fiction has been honored by the National Book Critics Circle (1984) and The Los Angeles Times (1985), and has been translated into fourteen languages.

Several of her short stories have been selected for O. Henry awards and for inclusion in the annual Best American Short Story anthologies. The Blue Jay's Dance, a memoir of motherhood, was her first nonfiction work, and her children's book, Grandmother's Pigeon, has been published by Hyperion Press. She lives in Minnesota with her children, who help her run a small independent bookstore called The Birchbark.

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

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Jennifer (formerly Eccentric Muse)]

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

[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.

[Jifu · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Note: I read an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)

Since Louis Erdrich is one of my favorite authors already, I confess that I was already a bit predisposed towards enjoying Python’s Kiss. But the fact that this is a short story collection really made this into something great. It’s a literary variety pack where Erdrich’s always-memorable writing covers an impressive range of plots, characters, and genres, leading to a fantastic array of different reading experiences wrapped up into one package.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. There's no simple way to summarize Erdrich's short story collection-- her writing spans across time and genre. What I can guarantee for sure is that almost every story in Python's Kiss landed a gut punch that made me "oof" out loud from the emotional impact. What a spectacularly moving assortment that capture the moral and psychological complexities of being human.

[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.

[Paula W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have at least 2 more of Erdrich’s full-length books sitting around in my library waiting to be read, so I wanted to try out these short stories first. Advance reviews are calling it a grab bag, or a variety pack, of stories across all genres. But what holds them together as a collection? I think they are all about coming extremely close to death but not quite. Except for the ones where people died. I don’t know. I liked them a lot anyway. Some of them are like Green Day or Nirvana or Billie Eilish songs where the title is some vague reference inside the phrases but not what you think it would be called. That’s cool, too. 3.75:stars

Thanks to Harper, Harper Audio, Louise Erdrich (author), Edelweiss, and Libro.fm for providing an advance digital review copy and advance listening copy of Python’s Kiss (narrated by Pallas Erdrich). Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.

** A note on the audiobook: I did not love it, and I’m sorry because I think it is a relative of the author (I looked her up; she and the person who made the cover art are the author’s daughters). The phrasing and places of emphasis seemed off to my ears. I stopped at about 35% and did a read-only for the rest of the book.

[Sara M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book, I read it so fast. Louise Erdrich is such a beautiful and emotional writer. I really enjoyed reading this book for the most part. It was like a grab-bag of different genres all rolled into one book - including some magical realism, sci-fi, and literary fiction.
I gave this book five stars because the short stories that I did like, I really liked. I had a hard time reading the first story in the book, there is a "sad animal" story line that really got to me. I know it wasn't really about the dog, but I didn't love reading it first thing in the book. Maybe I'm too sensitive though.
My very favorite stories were "Wedding Dresses" and "Amelia". I also thought "Assassins" was especially poignant considering the awful events happening in the Twin Cities right now (even though this story was written before any of it was happening). I don't want to give too much away though.
One of my best friends is a big Louise Erdrich fan and she will definitely be getting this book for her birthday this year! Overall, very thoughtfully put together and beautifully written book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a fan of Louise Erdrich's work, so I was excited to receive this ARC of short stories in Python's Kiss. Admittedly I knew little about it when I requested the ARC other than the author, so I went in with little expectation. At times, the stories seem disconnected from each other, but the descriptions available on other sites say they are held together by the in-between of life and death. I could see it, but it wouldn't be what jumped out at me. These are stories all having been published elsewhere in different forms. As with all short stories collections, some are stronger than others. Overall, however, I did enjoy the variety of characters, stories, and even genres. This is a good selection for people who have liked Erdrich's other stories or those who are looking to get into her writing for the first time. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published March 24, 2026.

3 stars

Great title (it’s explained) for this collection of thirteen short stories by this redoubtable author. I did not love all the tales, I think Erdrich reads better as a novelist, but I did enjoy “Borsalino” and “December 26” quite a bit (the two related stories about the afterlife really unsettled me in a bad way that I can’t quite put my finger on.).

If you like Erdrich you’ll probably enjoy. If this is your first experience with her, better to start with one of her great novels.

[Kristen P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Louise Erdrich's novels so I was thrilled when I was approved for an arc of Python's Kiss. This was my first time reading her short stories and they also had that distinct Erdrich feel. There is an almost dream-like quality to many of the stories; a blending of what's real and what may be imagined (or magical). As with her novels, she infuses Ojibwe culture and mythology throughout these 13 stories. They are reflective, dark at times, and overall a really strong collection of short stories. I will always look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, Harper, for early access.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story collection by one of the greatest story tellers in history...(even if her name isn't a household name...;))...

If you've ever wanted to find a storyteller that can tell a story...REALLY tell a story...no matter the subject matter...here you are...

Louise Erdrich is a magnificent writer...period...and her collection of poetry, stories and novels state it all!

And this is just a wonderful collection of her stories...you've just have to take a look at this...just enchanting!

Highly Recommended!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise Erdrich is one of my favorite writers. Some of her books I think about all the time, and as a readers' advisory librarian, I suggest them to my patrons constantly. Also, I'm not much of a short story person, so this could just be me.

This collection is just okay. They grabbed me enough that I read all of them, but they're kind of forgettable. Louise Erdrich is such a spinner of tales- but I think she maybe needs more space than a short story offers to spin them in?

[Rayna (Poindextrix) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Python’s Kiss has a number of strong stories throughout the work, but it lacks coherence as a collection. It doesn’t feel like there is a strong through line tying these stories together, perhaps because many of them were written originally for other publications. Overall I still enjoyed the reading experience, as I always do with Erdrich’s work.
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

[Lauren Book Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louis Erdrich is among my favorite authors and her latest collection of short stories is absolutely stunning. “Python’s Kiss,” combines thirteen stories with illustrations by Aza Erdrich Abe. Stories that meditate on memory like “The Hollow Children,” or stories that imagine a corporatized afterlife like “Domain.” With absolutely gorgeous imagery and prose, this is a collection you won’t want to miss, proving once again that Louise Erdrich is one of the worlds greatest writers.

[Elsa Rothenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection spans the wide array of Erdrich’s styles - the family stories resonated more than the dystopian ones, especially liked December 26 and would love to see that developed further!!!

Her writing is so consistently strong so it was fun to read her dabbling in and out of her comfort zone.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compiled of 12 short stories, Python's Kiss explores what makes us human. The writing is beautiful and profound; however, the stories felt disjointed and lacked explicit depth for me. Jumping around genres furthered my ability to connect and dig in with these stories.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice compilation of short stories that feels homey and comfortable. Ms Erdrich is a star when it comes to writing about the everyday happenings of ordinary people.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the ARC to read and review.

[Libby Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blessing, peril, and protection of a Python's Kiss

Short stories are not usually my jam.

Louise Erdrich - you may have converted me!

The subjects and genres of these stories are like jewels: variegated, precious, entrancing, and sometimes cold and sharp. Turn the page from one story to the next and you move from a story about ruined wedding dresses to a nineteenth century tale of murder to a dystopian fantasy. Snakes slither their way through many of the stories, bringing blessing, peril, and protection. Written over twenty years, this collection deserves to be studied, and shows a wordsmith at the top of her game.

[Sharon M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a love/hate relationship with short story collections, but couldn't resist the beautiful writing of Louise Erdrich. Some I loved, some I liked, some I didn't quite get, but I'll always read what she writes!

[Andrea]

Reading for work, so not rating.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and varied collection of stories.

[Libriar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling collection of short stories from one of the best American authors. As with most story collections, some stories are stronger than others. ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.