Our Take

Louise Erdrich has created a masterpiece that captures the surreal reality of 2020 while delivering one of the most original and moving ghost stories in recent literature. Her ability to blend humor with profound grief, supernatural elements with social commentary, and personal struggles with historical reckoning demonstrates why she remains one of our most essential contemporary writers. What makes this novel extraordinary is Erdrich's skill in using the haunted bookstore as a metaphor for how the past refuses to stay buried, while celebrating the power of books to connect us across all boundaries. Readers who loved The Midnight Library by Matt Haig will appreciate the celebration of books and reading, while fans of Beloved by Toni Morrison will recognize similar explorations of how the past haunts the present. Like Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, this novel uses supernatural elements to examine profound truths about grief, community, and healing. Erdrich's background as both a novelist and bookstore owner brings authenticity to every detail, making this essential reading for book lovers and anyone seeking to understand how literature helps us navigate crisis. This is a novel that manages to be both timely and timeless, proving that the best ghost stories are ultimately about the living and what we owe each other.