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Book Review By Dana Samson
The Bingo Palace by Louise Erdrich

Lipsha Morrissey is a Native American Indian with healing powers who lost his powers by wasting his time in the big cities. One day, he receives news from his grandmother, Lulu Lamartine that his father is wanted by the police. This is why he decides to go back to the reservation. It is a very hard decision for him as his home place does not bring happy memories. On the contrary, all his life he has been trying to understand an awful happening from his childhood: his mother tied him in a sack and threw him in a slough where he would have drowned if it was not for his huge luck that brought his rescue by a mere chance.

Things begin to complicate the very moment he arrived as he suddenly falls in love with Shawnee Ray Toose a woman almost engaged with one of his relatives: Lyman Lamartine. The latter is a very wealthy man desired by every woman in the county. He is very successful and audacious as he wants to build a bingo palace on this land where tradition is stronger than everywhere else.

Both the men and the woman are torn apart between their feelings as Shawnee is very attracted to Lipsha but she is very ambitious and dreams of a better social and material positon; in the same time, Lyman and Lipsha are rivals in love but also great friends as, in time Lyman becomes Lipsha's mentor.   


Plot & Themes
Time/era of story
Love Triangles/Polygons Yes
What kind:
If one lover chases another... - he chases after her

Main Male Character
Profession/status:
Age/status: - 20's-30's
If he's not white he must be... - indian

Main Female Character
Age/status: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
If she's not white she must be... - indian

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast
Misc setting - Fancy Mansion

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
What % of story is romance related? - 60%
How explicit is the sex? - vague references only - descript of kissing
Focus of story - Him
How much dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
How much sexing? - 1-2 sex acts
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