”The Birchbark House” by Louise Erdrich

2021-12-06

Louise Erdrich’s first novel for young readers was published in 1999, and it features an Ojibwa family who live near present-day Lake Superior in 1847. The book is often presented as an alternative to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, but Erdrich’s novel is really an accomplishment that's in a league of its own. We discuss what makes The Birchbark House so effective, and how it stands in contrast to a long literary tradition of racist children’s books about Native Americans that rely on stereotyp...

Louise Erdrich’s first novel for young readers was published in 1999, and it features an Ojibwa family who live near present-day Lake Superior in 1847. The book is often presented as an alternative to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, but Erdrich’s novel is really an accomplishment that's in a league of its own. We discuss what makes The Birchbark House so effective, and how it stands in contrast to a long literary tradition of racist children’s books about Native Americans that rely on stereotypes rather than authentic and empathetic portrayals.

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