The Bingo Palace is a novel written by Louise Erdrich published in 1994, with three chapters appearing in the Georgia Review, The New Yorker, and Granta. It is the fourth novel in Erdrich's Love Medicine series, and it follows Lipsha Morrissey as he is summoned home by his grandmother Lulu Lamartine. He returns home to the reservation for the first time in years and finds himself in rapture of a woman named Shawnee Ray. The novel discusses themes of family and identity from an Anishinaabe perspective. Background Erdrich wrote The Bingo Palace to coincide with the emergence of Indian gaming. As Erdrich wrote the Love Medicine series, several prominent legal cases such as Seminole Tribe v. Butterworth signaled a rise in American Indian gaming law. When reservation gaming became popular, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988. The act focused on three types of gaming—traditional Native games, games on electronic devices (including bingo), and card games. In the novel, Lyman plans to include these forms of gambling in his casino, "The Bingo Palace," in order to build wealth for the tribe. Setting This novel takes place on a fictional reservation named Little No Horse as Lipsha Morrissey leaves his home in Fargo, North Dakota to return to the reservation after many years. The exact location of the reservation is unknown, but it is assumed to be located in North Dakota near the Great Lakes region. Characters Lipsha Morrissey: He is the main character of the novel. He is returning to the reservation after many years of absence and becomes romantically involved with Shawnee Ray. Lulu Lamartine: She is Lipsha's grandmother and the mother of Gerry Nanapush. Gerry Nanapush: He is the father of Lipsha Morrissey. Shawnee Ray Toose: She is the love interest of Lyman Lamartine and Lipsha Morrissey. She has a son with Lyman named Redford and lives with Zelda Kapshaw. Lyman Lamartine: He is Lipsha's uncle and half brother. He and Lipsha are both in love with Shawnee Ray. He is Redford's father. Redford: He is the son of Shawnee Ray and Lyman. Zelda Kapshaw: She is the motherly figure to Shawnee Ray and Redford. She has a vested interest in Shawnee's love life. Fleur Pillager: She is Lulu Lamartine's mother. June: She is the deceased mother of Lipsha. Plot Summary A call from his grandmother Lulu brings Lipsha Morrisey home to the reservation after living