Minnesota Nice

Posted Nov 20, 2015


Say “hello” to our neighbors as we feature #FridayReads set in the state of Minnesota…

Evergeen by Rebecca Rasmussen

In 1938, recently married Eveline LeMay travels to the forests of Minnesota with her new husband, Emil.  The LeMays have everything they need- lush forests to hunt off, fresh streams to fish from, a thriving garden, and a warm and loving home for their baby, Hux.  But when Emil’s father falls ill, he returns home to care for him, and, with so much to do, Eveline leaves Hux in her parents’ charge.  Alone on the homestead, Eveline lives off the land until a stranger drops by.  When he leaves, Eveline’s pregnant.  Unsure of Emil’s reaction, she gives her daughter, Naamah, away, and when Hux finds out, he must piece together the clues to find his sister.  Part fable and part memoir set in a world of natural beauty, Evergreen explores the gifts and burdens that are passed down through generations.        

Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman

Trauma entwines the small prairie town of Lone Mountain, Minnesota when a teenage boy, Seth Fallon, shoots the local sheriff before taking his own life.  Moments before tragedy struck, Seth was knocking at Clara Warren’s door, and now she’s haunted by his death.  Or, what could have been her own.  No one knows why Seth did what he did, and his father, Grizz, is heartbroken when Seth is buried in a separate part of the cemetery for suicide victims.  Clara, the pregnant wife of a Lutheran pastor and a substitute teacher, has secrets of her own for returning to Lone Mountain, and now the pieces are starting to come together as stories intertwine.  Sometimes the truth lies in plain sight under open skies, and Maltman uses folklore, Norse mythology, and enigmatic writing in this gritty murder mystery that will stick you long after you finish it.           

Prudence by David Treuer

Before Frankie Washburn heads to Europe to fight in World War II, he visits family and friends at the Pines, his family’s resort in northern Minnesota.  Just as Frankie arrives, a German soldier from the POW camp across the river escapes.  To get a jump start on the action, Frankie rounds up his friends, including Billy, his childhood companion, and Felix, the groundskeeper, and they set out to search for the missing prisoner.  What they encounter is much worse when Frankie accidentally shoots a Native American girl hiding in the bushes.  While one girl is dead, her sister, Prudence, survives, and Frankie feels obligated to care for her.  Through tragedy, desire, and loss, secrets compound and unfold in heartbreak.  Exploring American history, Ojibwe culture, and identity, Treuer’s Prudence is an intricately-plotted, somber mystery written with words as beautiful as the Minnesota landscape it is set in.



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