The story is set around a North Dakota Indian reservation over a span of fifty years. It is the story of two families who lives intertwine because of different bonds of both love and hate. You are introduced to the main character of the novel, Marie Lazzare Kashpaw, while she is still in her youth. As a young Indian, she goes to live at the Sacred Heart convent. She is taken under the wing of the twisted Sister Leopolda who beats and abuses Satan out of her soul. Yet, Marie puts up with her abusive treatment. Sister Leopolda explains her harshness to Marie as a difference between herself and the Devil. "He wants you. That's the difference. I give you love." Marie both does come to hate and love her. This nun made her as strong as she was. She gave her pride in herself; pride to prove to Leopolda that the Devil was not within her and that she could succeed even as the wife of an Indian.

In the course of Nector's death and a joint business venture with Lyman Lamartine, the two women become close. They form a bond with each other through their mutual connection to Nector that is very surprising for they had been rivals throughout his lifetime. They are able to overcome their hatred for each other because of their love for Nectar. They are able to mourn together, reminisce together, even laugh together. It is love that causes their tie and a combining of the two families.

The novel is freckled with many other relationships involving the characters of the novel. Erdrich uses these meaningless relationships to contrast them with the great relationships of true love. The novel describes June's one night stands while describing the eternal love of those who were left behind in her death have for her. While Lulu goes through multiple husbands and several partners in between her heart is loyal to Nector. This contrasting works well. The language that Erdrich chooses to describe the other relationships is cold. When describing love the tone is warm. It is this way that the she points out the difference between these two different types of relationships.

There is a strong belief in the fate of the dead. There are few characters in the novel who come back to visit the living, but those who do are the ones who were truly loved by those they visit. Nector returns to visit Marie to show her that he really did love her once and that the love medicine did work. Lulu feels Nector's presence in the night. Gordie sees June and goes wild thinking that she has finally now come back to him. It is those who are truly loved who are missed the most. When taken from a side interp

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1137
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)