Future Home of the Living God

Bibliography: Erdrich, L. (2017). Future Home of the Living God. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 978-0-06-269405-8

Plot Summary: Cedar is a pregnant young woman in a time when society seems to be moving in reverse. She tries to keep herself and her unborn child safe, though society is becoming increasingly oppressive. She goes into hiding with a small group, including family, in order to avoid government captuere. Cedar struggles not only with the idea of what the future holds, but her own identity as well. It is unclear what this dangerous new world may hold for her and her baby.

Critical Analysis: Erdrich's choice of words vividly depicts this dystopian world and draws the reader in. Throught the novel, Erdrich weaves in issues of identity and race reflecting how even in this chaotic new world, marginalized communities still often feel unseen. Cedar struggles with issues of identity as a Native American woman who is further oppressed in this chaotic society. Injustices are prevalent, not just to women, as the government tries to control their bodies, but through instances of racial discrimination that Cedar faces as well. The story was intriguing and kept me interested, and I was invested in Cedar's plight throughout. A great read.

Reviews:

New York Times: "A timely novel of anti-progress."

Kirkus Reviews: "...this novel is bracing, humane, dedicated to witnessing the plight of women in a cruel universe, and full of profound spiritual questions and observations."

Awards:

Though I could find no awards for this book, this author has won numerous awards for other works.

Connections:

Use in a high school English class and pair with another work of dystopian literature such as 1984. Have students compare and contrast the dystopian worlds in these works.

Use in a high school Sociology class during a unit on social justice. Have students analyze how social justice themes are developed throughout the book and discuss how these relate to contemporary issues. 



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