Review of THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE

Bibliography:

Erdrich, Louise. 2002. The birchbark house. Northport, ME: Audio Bookshelf. Narrated by Nicolle Littrell. ISBN 1883332834

Review:

As readers listen to the calming Native American music played at the beginning of The Birchbark House audio book, they are transported to another place in time where a young girl, Omakayas, and her family live peacefully with nature. Set on an island in Lake Superior in 1847, The Birchbark House follows the lives of one Ojibwa family over the course of a year as they build a birchbark house for the summer, harvest rice in the fall, struggle to survive a deadly disease and starvation in the winter, and prepare to start the cycle over again in the spring. Louise Erdrich describes in detail many of the daily tasks performed by the family, including tanning moose hide for “makazins”, preparing and storing food for the winter, and maple sugaring. As readers witness the need for this family to work together in order to survive, they get a sense of what life was like for Native Americans in the first part of the 19th century. The fact that the story is written in the third person point of view as seen through the eyes of seven year old Omakayas provides a childlike perspective of events that is entertaining and often humorous. Although many of the tasks, Native American traditions, and spiritual beliefs presented will be new to young readers, they will immediately identify with Omakayas. For even though she lives a life far removed from their own, she is still an average seven year old that would rather play then do her chores and who must also deal with a pestering younger brother and an all-too perfect older sister. Narrator Nicolle Littrell goes to goes to great lengths to give each character a unique voice and to bring them to life. Her emotion-filled narration and Erdrich’s descriptive writing allow readers to experience how life-altering the tragic events of the small pox epidemic and baby Neewo’s death are on Omakayas and her family. As the young girl learns the truth about her past and begins the journey to becoming a healer, she finds comfort in knowing that her baby brother will “always be here to help” her. Readers realize that no matter what happens in the future Omakayas will survive, and they can take comfort in the fact that they, too, can draw own their own inner strengths and family support to overcome obstacles they may encounter in life.