The Master Butcher's Singing Club resonates well with both the time and the place where it occurs. Erdrich presents characters that leap from the page and give you clear, direct contact with their personalities from the beginning. She presents an amazing picture of her own deep roots from the immigrant side of the family--a small stretch from her other work that has been more directly connected to the Native American culture. Clear, lyrical prose begins and carries through the entire novel bringing the conclusion to a remarkable heritage.