Erdrich is one of the greatest living American writers. Louise Erdrich, the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award winner for LaRose and The Round House, paints a harrowing portrait of a young woman fighting for her life and that of her unborn child against oppressive forces that arise in the wake of a catastrophic event. The world as we know it is coming to an end. Evolution has reversed, affecting every living being on Earth. Science cannot prevent the world from moving backward as woman after woman gives birth to children who resemble primitive human species. Thirty-two-year-old Cedar Hawk Songmaker, the adopted daughter of open-minded liberals from Minneapolis, is as disturbed as the rest of America around her. But for Cedar, this change is profound and very personal. She is four months pregnant. Cedar feels compelled to find her biological mother, Mary Potts, an Ojibwe.