On a North Dakota Ojibwe reservation, two intertwined families—the Kashpaws and the Lamartines—are caught in a whirlwind of anger and desire. Blending humor, myth, and magic realism, Louise Erdrich's impressive debut novel won her the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award, launching one of the most momentous careers in contemporary American literature.

"A powerful piece of work…. Louise Erdrich is the rarest kind of writer; as compassionate as she is sharp-sighted."—Anne Tyler