Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich (2014)

 This is my first Erdrich, though she's been present in my life through all its adult span. When I first became a bookseller in the mid 80s, she was one of the bright new things, and back then it was remarkable that she was Native American. This one is a rare non-fiction effort; a journey from Minneapolis, where she lives, to the key territory of her people, an enormous lake system in southern Ontario called the Lake of the Woods, which, on the map inside the book, is shown to be not a wide expanse of water in the sense of the Great Lakes, but instead a marsh-originated network of bays and islands with a broader expanse to the south. The journey there and elements of the stay are treated autobiographically, with discussion of her toddler daughter who accompanies her, her new partner (her daughter's father) and some soul-talk about nature and the wild world. She's very direct, simply interested in things for themselves, and only drawing out meanings when there is a cultural significance that she feels is important. The whole area of the lake used to be inhabited by Ojibwe people - it is largely not so now. The dispossession happened not so very long ago, so there are cabins and lodges gradually returning to nature on many of the islands - the atmosphere is one of quiet and greenery and slowness and removedness - another world. Islands are the core of the piece for most of its length, apart from a shortish mention of books very early on, and, at that time also, probably the one thing I don't care for in this piece - an attempt to conceptually rename the native artworks on rocks throughout the lake system as "books". Doesn't fly for me. That sort of gymnastics reminds me of recent academic papers I've read which attempt to claim all sorts of significances for the work being discussed on the weakest of physical premises. Anyway, grouch over, it's minor. Near to the end, books raise their presence in a visit to an island which had been the home of Ernest Oberholtzer, and which is preserved for very limited groups of people to visit, among them Ojibwe who are seeking retreat. "Ober" was a traveller, naturalist, friend of the Ojibwe and book-lover, and his island has cabins studded around it, each filled with his many thousands of books. Your classic dream-island to all extents and purposes. This, some splendid animal encounters, and some really interesting discussion of Ojibwemowin, the language of the people, are the tastiest parts of the piece. This book was first published in 2003 and then reissued in 2014 with an extra chapter of a return visit. I'm glad to have finally read her, and find her writing manner quietly comforting. It's also good to read something which has a different cultural background underlying it - the usual signposts slightly rearranged.