The Night Watchman

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Based on the life of Louis Erdrich's grandfather, Patrick Gourneau, this narrative blends lightness and gravity through the story of Thomas Wazhashk, a night watchman at a jewel-bearing plant near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. As a Chippewa council member in 1953, Thomas grapples with the implications of a new "emancipation" bill heading to Congress, which threatens Native American rights and identity under the guise of freedom. Meanwhile, Pixie Paranteau, who prefers to be called Patrice, works at the plant to support her family while searching for her missing sister, Vera, rumored to have had a baby in Minneapolis. Patrice's struggle is compounded by her father's alcoholism and abuse. Her quest leads her to Minnesota, where she encounters exploitation and violence, putting her life at risk. The story also features young Chippewa boxer Wood Mountain, his mother Juggie Blue, and Patrice's friend Valentine, alongside Hay Stack Barnes, a white teacher in love with Patrice. Through these characters, the narrative explores the complexities of human nature, revealing their desires and ambitions with compassion and wit, making it a remarkable work of fiction from a celebrated author.