Erdrich tells the story of Fidelis Waldvogel, a WWI sniper and master butcher with a "talent for stillness" and for singing. After marrying Eva, the pregnant fiancee of his best friend, who was killed in the war, he emigrates to America. Settling in Argus, N.Dak., he and Eva establish a butcher shop known for its Old World expertise and for housing Fidelis's beloved singing club. The focus then shifts to Delphine Watzka, a performer in a traveling vaudeville act, who has recently returned to Argus to care for her alcoholic father, Roy. Roy's health problems pale beside his legal problems: the predatory Sheriff Hock is investigating how the Chavers family came to perish in Roy's basement. Not willing to abandon Roy, Delphine and her vaudeville partner, Cyprian Lazarre, a homosexual Ojibwa, set up house in Argus, where Delphine soon befriends Eva and develops a disturbing attraction to Fidelis. Erdrich's plot spans 36 years, covering two world wars, several violent deaths, near-deaths, illnesses, accidents and crimes-"awful things occurring to other humans," but somehow not to Delphine, who draws on reserves of toughness and compassion to sustain herself as well as the surprisingly vulnerable Waldvogel family. Excellent writing AND reading.

The ending of this book felt a bit trite, with everyone turning out okay. She never actually has sex with an older man, so it's a bit sterilized from what it could have been. But the story was pretty good, and I like how it was told from multiple viewpoints.
The coming of age theme was pretty good, and Miller did a good job of capturing the awkwardness of being a 14 year old girl.
This book made me never want to have daughters.

This novel is of a family in trouble. Eva was shattered by the divorce that followed her husband's infidelity but eventually bounced back, thanks largely to John, her prosperous and kind second husband. During five years of happy marriage, he has been a wonderful stepfather to Eva's two daughters, and they have a two-year old son. When John dies suddenly, despair overwhelms the family. Deep in her own grief, Eva misreads the needs of her complex middle child, Daisy. Sad, confused, and feeling ignored, the teenage girl is lured into a sexual relationship with Duncan, an older man married to Eva's closest friend. Birth father Mark somewhat reluctantly asserts himself, risking behavior that may either restore harmony or impose further pain on the people he loves.

I started this book, read 100 pages, but didn't like it.

A novel about a rural American family and an even that forever changes their lives. The Goodwins, Howard, Alice, and their little girls, Emma and Claire, live on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. Their peaceful life is shattered one day when a neighbor's two-year-old daughter drowns in the Goodwins' pond while under Alice's care. Tormented by the accident, Alice descends even further into darkness when she is accused of sexually abusing of a student at the elementary school, where she is the school nurse. Soon, Alice is arrested, incarcerated, and as good as convicted in the eyes of a community. As a child, Alice designed her own map of the world to find her bearings. Now, as an adult, she must find her way again, through a maze of lies, doubt and ill will.

My book club members all liked this author.

Heartbreaking

Plainsong is set in Holt, Colorado, a rural community well outside Denver; the setting is timeless, with only the occasional, fleeting reference to VCRs or pop culture indicating that the book takes place closer to "now" than "then." Tom Guthrie is a high-school teacher left raising two young sons after his depressed and disappointed wife moves to the city. His children bake cookies, ride horses, and run a paper route, but at the same time they almost consciously seek out a cool, hardened, cowboy sense of maturity.

Meanwhile, another teacher helps a pregnant teen disowned by her mother find love and acceptance in two hilariously well-intentioned elderly brothers. The two tentatively take the girl on as a boarder on their cattle farm even though they barely know how to communicate with anyone but each other.

Not a lot happened in this book that was unpredictable, but it was so beautifully written that I didn't care. Plain Song is just a wonderful novel.

A very nice book, populated with good, reliable people. A good book for reaffirming one's faith in humanity, but the characters seem so idealized that it's hard to buy.

A novel about life in a western Colorado town, tole mostly in the POV of a teen-ages boy. But the story is filled with compelling characters -- the boys' mother, 2 old cattlemen, a pregnant teen-age girl, the horses, dogs & cows that are still share the daily lives of the people & the harsh land itself & the demands it makes on the lives of people.

Two bachelor farmer brothers, a pregnant high school girl, two young brothers, and two devoted high school teachers--this is the interesting group of people, some related by blood but most not. Set in the plains of Colorado, east of Denver, the novel comprises several story lines that flow into one. Tom Guthrie, a high school history teacher, is having problems with his wife and with an unruly student at school--problems that affect his young sons, Ike and Bob, as well. Meanwhile, the pregnant Victoria Roubideaux has been abandoned by her family. With the assistance of another teacher, Maggie Jones, she finds refuge with the McPheron brothers--who seem to know more about cows than people.

This is an interesting concept and was well put together. I especially liked the two bachelors and their compassion for Victoria. Growing up, there were two farmer bachelors who lived nearby (sweet, nice gentlemen) and I used their faces as I read this book so it brought the story to life for me.

Noone is a successful writer whose radio serial, Noone at Night, has brought him fans and fame. But his long-term companion, Jess, has just left him, and he's a mess: he can't write, he can't communicate with his father, and he can't understand why Jess is suddenly changing. Enter a special fan, a sick 13-year-old boy who forms a deep connection with Gabriel over the radio and telephone. Peter Lomax was severely abused as a child but finds he can trust Gabriel, who in turn discovers he can open himself up to this amazing boy. However, Gabriel slowly begins to doubt his young friend, just as he has doubted other important figures in his life. While the novel centers on the mysterious Peter this is less a suspense story than a tale about major and minor betrayals by lovers, friends, and family members.

I found the story a little too graphic with gay sex and the dialogue between Peter and Gabrial contrived and stiff. The suspense of the story was interesting, but the ending too jumbled.

Found this one a bit too depressing.

This novel is narrated by Ruth, who takes us into great, quirky descriptions of nature and personalities. After a loveless childhood, Ruth continues to live with her mother in the tiny town of Honey Creek, Illinois. Her relationship with the natural world is direct and uninhibited. She marries a very peculiar man, Ruby, who shares this affinity. He moves in with Ruth and her mother, and they have a son. To say the least, the three adults do not get along--this story demonstrates that familiarity can breed more than contempt. But The Book of Ruth is no soap opera. Ruth is a compelling narrator, able to muster tremendous empathy for people, including her bitter and irredeemable mother and her spacey husband. The shocking yet inevitable climax to their story is handled with skill.

A great book. It's wonderful how When Madeline was Young is told by Mac, from a very young age through adulthood. As the book progresses and Mac grows more mature, his views change about life, and understanding Madeline's situation.

Too boring... didn't finish

Nikki's mother is murdered by a stranger. Book is about the following year and how she deals with her grief and her relationship with her sister.

I'm embaressed to say that I went through a phase of reading Oprah's book club list. We Were the Mulvaneys centers around the drastic change of events in the Mulvaney's life after Marianne Mulvaney was raped after a High School dance. I just reread this book and remember liking it more the first time.

I read this book while visiting my parents. My mom had it on her shelf. I've enjoyed Oates's short fiction but I didn't like this book.