Four Souls

Four Souls Analysis

Four Souls is a novel by Ojibwe author Louise Erdrich, and was written as part of her Love Medicine series. The book was released in 2004 by HarperCollins. The novels follows dual narration, between three characters: Nanapush, Polly Elizabeth, and Margaret.

The books follows on from the predecessor, Tracks (1988), and follows the protagonist, Fleur, as she seeks revenge from wealthy white landowner, Mauser, who stole her ancestral land. However, she begins to question her intentions and instead develops romantic feelings for him. Nonetheless, she continues to face challenges throughout the book, namely through her volatile relationship with Mauser, his sister-in-law Polly Elizabeth, and the birth of her sick child.

Karen Fowler of the The New York Times, praised the book by stating “the progression of events feels natural and unforced, full of satisfying yet unexpected twists.” Andrew Wylie of Publishers Weekly was more critical and instead stated “Erdrich may not ensnare many new readers, but she will already satisfy her already significant audience.”

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