Crystal is one of the novel’s protagonists. A North Dakotan of Indigenous and white ancestry, she is first depicted on her way to work at a beet-processing plant. This introduction frames Crystal within the world of work, and emphasizes her strong work ethic as a key facet of her personality. Crystal has worked hard her entire life and has often held more than one job at a time. Although this quality is admirable, it also speaks to the Red River Valley’s economic inequality: Workers like Crystal, who are often Indigenous but increasingly are immigrants from Latin America, do not have the opportunity for career advancement, wealth accumulation, or even financial stability. Crystal’s life trajectory and work history speak to the broader social and economic issues that Erdrich draws attention.

Crystal is also characterized by her various relationships. Her marriage to Martin has always been difficult, and early in the novel she reflects that “[m]aybe she should have married Kismet’s father, but it was not good business sense. If Martin got into financial trouble, and that seemed almost certain, she did not want to be held responsible” (25). Their fraught relationship is a testament to the novel’s interest in depicting the complexities of love: Erdrich suggests through multiple characters and situations that romantic love, although idealized in Western culture, is not necessarily the “best” form that love takes.