Person
Every book Louise Erdrich recommended on podcasts
Louise Erdrich appeared on The Book Review to discuss her story collection and her relationship with books she frequently returns to and rereads. Among her top recommendations and lifelong favorites, Erdrich highlighted James Welch's novel Winter in the Blood as a vital work by a native author. She also named Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and W. G. Sebald's Austerlitz as works she gets back to all the time. For relaxation, Erdrich recommended Sei Shōnagon's ancient text The Pillow Book, noting it as an ideal book to fall asleep to. Additionally, she discussed Elizabeth Bowen's novel The Death of the Heart among her recurring reads. Looking at new and forthcoming literature, Erdrich revealed that Ann Patchett's upcoming book, Whistler, was a recent advance reader copy that successfully moved her to tears, and she humorously shared a local Minneapolis find from her shelves titled Make the Golf Course a Public Sex Forest.
Books recommended by Louise Erdrich
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Winter in the blood
Why people recommend it: James Welch's acclaimed novel offers a stark, haunting portrayal of modern Native American life, identity, and alienation on a Montana reservation.
Recommended“This is James Welch and his book Winter in the Blood.”
Where to get it
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Austerlitz
Austerlitz by W.
Recommended“Um Bluest Eye and Austerlitz. Aus- I listened I I get back to Austerlitz all the time. Tell me a little more about Austerlitz. This is the W.G. Sebald book.”
Where to get it
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Make the Golf Course a Public Sex Forest
Make the Golf Course a Public Sex Forest by Lyn Corelle and Jimmy Cooper is an unconventional local Minneapolis publication.
Recommended“Yes. And it's right here. It's Make the Golf Course a Public Sex Forest.”
Where to get it
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The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison is a powerful and haunting debut novel that examines the tragic experiences of a young Black girl growing up in post-depression America who desperately longs for blue eyes.
Recommended“Um Bluest Eye and Austerlitz. Aus- I listened I I get back to Austerlitz all the time.”
Where to get it
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The death of the heart
The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen is a classic novel exploring the poignant loss of innocence in British society.
Recommended“Death of the The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen.”
Where to get it
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The pillow book
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon is a classic collection of observations, lists, and musings written by a lady-in-waiting in Japan around the year 1000.
Recommended“It's uh Sei Shonagon's book. So it's it's not somebody who's going to listen to this. The Pillow Book was written in um around 1000. It's very old.”
Where to get it
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Whistler
Whistler by Ann Patchett is a compelling contemporary novel that follows a fifty-something English teacher whose life shifts unexpectedly when she encounters her former stepfather at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Recommended“Well, now, I don't often cry at at stories. It's it's it's unusual, but this was not too long ago, also, and it's the end of a book that's not out yet. I got to see it in a advanced reader and it's Ann Patchett's next book, Whistler.”
Where to get it
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Brawler
Discussed“Um Uh I read Lauren Groff's Brawler, the first story. Mhm. That's a collection and I cried.”
Where to get it
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Planet of the Apes
Discussed“I worked in a movie theater and I was so overwhelmed by seeing Planet of the Apes. The end of it really knocked me over.”
Where to get it
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The Master Butchers Singing Club SP
Discussed“When I wrote, say, The Master Butchers' Singing Club, I had too much of my own ego invested.”
Where to get it
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The Night Watchman
Discussed“Uh my grandfather I um have my grandfather's letters from when he was a tribal chairman for the Turtle Mountain Chippewa and he went through It's It's what The Night Watchman is based on.”
Where to get it
Books Louise Erdrich wrote
- Love Medicine
- Python's Kiss
- The Master Butchers Singing Club SP
- The Night Watchman
- The birchbark house
- Future Home of the Living God
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louise Erdrich on Her New Story Collection and the Mystery of Writing | The Book Review | 2026-03-13 | 13 |