Hoping to Get Out of There

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Why did I read it?

I'm really enjoying my Young Adult Literature class. Even though its a lot of reading, its forcing me to read some fantastic books that have been on my radar, but I might not have read.

What happened?

It all started when Junior threw a dilapidated textbook at his math teacher's head. His teacher could have been furious, but instead, he was truthful. "Junior," he said, "unless you get off of the rez, you are going to wind up like every other Indian here; drunk, hopeless, and going nowhere. But, if you get out of here, you could be someone." Sizing up his situation on the reservation and finding it pretty accurate, Junior decides to do the crazy, hopeful, insane thing and go to Readan. Now, he would be the only Indian at the school, his friends on the rez would hate him, and no one like him had done anything like it before. But, Junior was committed to seeing things change, and change they do.

What did I like or not like?

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is an amzing story that sucks you in from the first page with its honesty, normality, and truthfulness. Mixed throughout the novel are short comics, drawn from Junior's perspective, that enhance the experience. Junior deals with grief, rejection, bullies, poverty, friendships, navigating relationships, being caught in-between two worlds, and dealing with his family. But, through it all, Junior finds hope in what he has, pushes toward a better future, and encourages the underdog in all of us.

P.S. This novel does contain some language and characters talking about sexual and crude topics.

Smoke Signals meets A Christmas Carol and Quantum Leap

How is this Wednesday finding everyone? It’s a little rainy out in my direction, but I’m thinking spring might have finally arrived.

For the past two and a half years, I’ve been driving to Lewiston for my orthodontia work (it worked best with insurance). So every six weeks or so, I drive two and a half hours down and back for the sake of straight teeth and a correct bite (which I have found is totally worth it). This trip, I decided to try out a Book on CD, and I enjoyed it. Having a story play out while you drive definitely helps the time pass. It was also refreshing to enjoy the benefits of reading a novel without actually having to read a novel. You still get to enjoy the symbolism, plot twists, and imagery, without having to exert the effort to read words. I don’t think I’d take this as my only mode of reading, but it is nice for car rides!

So I listened to a Book on CD called Flight by Sherman Alexie, which was performed by Adam Beach. Alexie is a Native American who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, and attended Gonzaga University as well as Washington State University, where he graduated with a BA in American Studies. He has won several awards for his poetry, short stories, novels, and performance. Flight is one of his novels for young adults. Adam Beach is a Golden Globe nominated actor, who is also of Native American descent.

Flight tells the tale of Zits, who is a fifteen year old Native American who has some problems. His father abandoned his mother and him when he was born, his mother died of breast cancer, and his aunt and uncle abused him. After crashing through twenty-some half-way houses and foster homes, Zits just doesn’t care anymore. He is consumed by loneliness and anger, bounces in and out of jail, and drunkenness, and doesn’t have any reason to change. That is until Justice, a pretty white boy, teaches him how to use a gun on other people. Zits walks into a bank with a loaded pistol, but then finds himself being launched through time and space and lands in someone else’s body (think Quantum Leap meets The Christmas Carol meets Smoke Signals).

Zits bounces between several bodies reaching across many years and places, and experiences things that change his entire outlook on life and violence. He learns about the effects of war, violence, anger, loneliness, betrayal, and love.

Like so many other award-winning authors, Alexie’s work definitely has some content. F-bombs fly like crazy, there is plenty of innuendo and frank discussions of human anatomy, and the book also deals with some very violent scenarios. But, Alexie is writing from the perspective of a down-in-the-gutter teenager, and this is how he and those around him would talk. Even though it’s hard to get through all of these experiences, Alexie has written an interesting piece of literature that explores how a teenager who has never been loved finds hope and belonging.