Set in North Dakota at a time in this century when Indian tribes were struggling to keep what little remained of their lands, Tracks is a tale of passion and deep unrest. Over the course of ten crucial years, as tribal land and trust between people erode ceaselessly, men and women are pushed to the brink of their endurance--yet their pride and humor prohibit surrender. The reader will experience shock and pleasure in encountering a group of characters that are compelling and rich in their vigor, clarity, and indomitable vitality.

I had to read Love Medicine by Erdrich for my freshman year lit. class in college and loved it - I had never read anything about Indians before (even though I have Indian Heritage) and was captured by it and loved it - I made an A!
Years later - I was still thinking about how great Love Medicine was so I picked up Tracks and was expecting another great read... I did not enjoy this near as much - I did manage to finish the book (it got better midway through) but I would skip this read if I had to do it all over again. The stories were fascinating, but it seemed to drag on and on with no real ending. It left me feeling like I had wasted my time and ultimately was unsatisfied. It defiantly didn't quench my literary thirst...

The story focuses around the lives of an Indian man and a little girl who are sole survivors of disease that run rampant through their tribe. The man forms a kind of grandfatherly relationship to the little girl who lost her family. The locals believe that this girl has supernatural powers. Underlying all this is the struggle of Indian tribes in the early 1900's to keep their land.

The story is told in a Falknerian way. It switches between the narratives of two people, who tell the story in their oral tradition of telling a story, so vividly, so profoundly that as a reader I kept catching myself wanting to share the story orally.

Erdrich is an amazing weaver of words. There are two narrators in this book, each chapter alternates between Nanapush an older very traditional Ojibwe man and Pauline a contemporary of our main character Fleur, who is shunning the traditional ways.

I had a hard time with this book because I really enjoyed Nanapush's narration, he is funny and wise and insightful. But then I would get to the next chapter that was narrated by Pauline--who in a way reminds me of Elphalba from "Wicked" she is determined to be always right, essentially destroying herself and those around her. She is a selfish and mentally deluded character.

The twin narration follows the life of one character, Fleur. She is like and adoptive daughter to Nanapush and a sort of sister/rival to Pauline. While Pauline is rather homley Fleur is beautiful and other worldly. Her tribes people suspect her of a liason with the monster that lives in the lake.

Its the story of people being pushed off their land by the government and some of their own people. Ultimately the story is a tragedy with some mythic elements and great dashes of humour (courtesy of Nanapush--he is a brilliant character, I'd almost reccomend reading this book on the strength of him alone).

Louise Erdrich has written I don't know how many novels featuring Fleur Pillager and her still-increasing North Dakota Chippewa clan. Tracks remains my favorite, mostly because of Nanapush, surely one of the most wonderful characters ever to inhabit the pages of a novel. "Talk is an old man's last vice," Nanapush says. When he gets ill, he says "I got well by talking. Death could not get a word in edgewise, grew discouraged, and traveled on." You won't, you'll sit at Nanapush's feet and never want to get up, not while he's still talking. My only complaint about Tracks is it's too short.

The Beet Queen: A Novel (P.S.) and Love Medicine: A Novel (P.S.) are about the same characters, not really sequels or prequels, just more stories about the same great folks. You'll be happy you get more than one visit.

Tracks jumped out at me in a bookstore in Northampton, Massachusetts 12 years ago. I was just browsing the shelves and I randomly picked up and bought this book. I have read it several times since then and keep reading Louise Erdrich's other books following the same characters trough generations.
I fell in love with Nanapush, Fleur and their way of life. I feel uneasy about Pauline and everything she represents. Louise Erdrich has a way of weaving together dreams, smells, present time and past time. She has a way of writing poetry I can understand in the form of Nanapush and how he sees the world around him.
This book is one of my most treasured books and I keep discovering new things in this and following books as I grow older and change perspective on things. It is not just a book about Native Americans but about life.