Written by: Louise Erdrich
First line: The only person left alive on the island was a baby girl.
Why you should read this book: Often described as a counterpoint to the manifest destiny narrative of Little House on the Prairie, this is the first book in a series sharing the life of Omakakiins, an Anishinaabe girl living on the Island of the Golden Breasted Woodpecker in Minnesota in 1847. Readers experience a full calendar year of her life, doing chores, playing with other children, learning from her elders, exploring the natural world, surviving sickness and deprivation, celebrating success, and opening herself to a spiritual understanding of her world. Omakakiins is an engaging and surprising heroine whose worldview and journey is delightful and eye-opening, while the story touches on the danger presented to the community as the white culture imposes upon their land.
Why you shouldn't read this book: I guess if you're one of those MAGA lunatics obsessed with removing historical signage from National Parks, you're not going to respond well to this story.
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