Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
This Town Sleeps
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
"Elegant and gritty, angry and funny. Stapless work is emotional without being sentimental. Dennis unmakes something in us, then remakes it, a quilt of characters that embody this town, this place, which sleeps but doesnt dream, or it is all a dream we want to wake up from with its characters." Tommy Orange, author of There, There Set on a reservation in far northern Minnesota, This Town Sleeps explores the many ways history, culture, landscape, and lineage shape our lives, our understanding of the world we inhabit, and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of it all. On an Ojibwe reservation called Languille Lake, within the small town of Geshig at the hub of the rez, two men enter into a secret romance. Marion Lafournier, a midtwenties gay Ojibwe man, begins a relationship with his former classmate Shannon, a heavily closeted white man. While Marion is far more open about his sexuality, neither is immune to the realities of the lives of gay men in small towns and closed societies. One night, while roaming the dark streets of Geshig, Marion unknowingly brings back to life the spirit of a dog long buried in the elementary school playground. The mysterious revenant leads him to the grave of Kayden Kelliher, an Ojibwe basketball star who was murdered at the young age of seventeen and whose presence still lingers in the memories of the townsfolk. While investigating the fallen heros death, Marion discovers family connections and an old Ojibwe legend that may be the secret to unraveling the mystery he has found himself in.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
Eggbeater
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
Pickpick

The magical realism aspect of this book really worked to bring the story together. It made me think about generational trauma and possible healing. The characters were unforgettable.

review
psalva
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
Mehso-so

For a debut novel, this has a lot going for it. Told from several points of view, this is a story of discovery. The main character Marion wakes up what seems to be the spirit of a dog which leads him to the grave of Kayden Kelliher who was murdered at the age of 17. ⬇️

#skoden #skodenreadathon

psalva Marion sets out to understand what has happened and, in the process, he uncovers his Ojibwe family history and his connection to the events of the past. Overall, this was decent. There is a gay love story- think 100 Boyfriends meets ancestral curse. It also deals with inter-generational trauma. There are some characters which lacked development and I think there are some confusing narrative choices. Nonetheless, I was intrigued throughout. 1y
15 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
peanutnine
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
Mehso-so

I'm trying to read a few indigenous stories for Native American Heritage month. This was an interesting mystery involving spirits and an old murder in a small Ojibwe reservation town. I found the story very engaging but it switched back and forth between perspectives and timelines quite a bit and I had a hard time following the characters. I listened to the audio so maybe the print version would be easier to keep track.

review
ReadingEnvy
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
Pickpick

Marion is a gay Ojibwe man living outside of the reservation where he grew up in northern Minnesota, close enough where he's not really gone. He hooks up with a childhood classmate and encounters what seems like a ghost dog, and the story unfolds from there.
.
I enjoyed this debut novel...↘️

ReadingEnvy There is some mystery but it isn't a mystery. The majority of the story comes from Marion's point of view but it also jumps to other characters, once or twice even jumping back a generation or two in a way I hadn't seen before. It is a strong depiction of modern rez life, which for these characters is modern yet rural. 3y
39 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Well-ReadNeck
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
review
TracyReadsBooks
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
Pickpick

A strong debut from Staples about the secrets that shape our lives (whether we are aware of them or not). Secrets, for instance, about who we love—the main character, a gay Ojibwa man, & the closeted white man he begins a relationship with—family rivalries, & a murder that draws renewed attention when a revenant is raised. I enjoyed this story that delves into life on a reservation in Minnesota, the reasons people stay & the reasons they go.

23 likes1 stack add
review
Well-ReadNeck
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image
Pickpick

Going to be a favorite this year, I can tell. Takes place in and near a Native American reservation. LGBTQ storyline, too! #arc #edelweiss

88 likes4 stack adds
blurb
Liberty
This Town Sleeps: A Novel | Dennis E. Staples
post image

Today I am thankful for hammocks and cats and books and sunshine, and the fact that reading is something I can do even when fighting off a rotten cold. Getting ready to start this book, which I have heard nothing but amazing things about. ❤️📚❤️

Hooked_on_books I love that you‘ve set your hammock up indoors. February be damned! 😆 4y
Meaw_catlady 💕😻😻 4y
126 likes4 stack adds2 comments