The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

 In the small farming community of Tabor, North Dakota on the Red River, families work to move on from a tragedy that left two young football players dead. The truth of this accident is frequently referenced but not completely explained until near the end of the book. However, it clearly frames the interactions of the families involved. Although this sounds serious, the characters are all quirky, their decisions humorously flawed and there is a ghost - so more troublesome than serious. You aften expect some indigenous insight from Erdrich and in this story it is about farming techniques, abuse of the land and the mistaken consequences of class.  Sometimes it seems a stretch to make these bigger issues relevant to the story of loves, losses and family which are at the heart of this community. It a pretty straight forward writing style until the closing chapters when the frequent Erdrich magical realism twist enters the story.  Before that there is the economic crash of 2008 and Madame Bovary so there may be a lot for a book group to talk about.