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

I pretty much devoured this book.  I finished it less than 48 hours after I finished The Postman, reading until I fell asleep, reading while my little one napped, any moment I could squeeze in a few pages.  In fact, this afternoon I was finishing the last page when G woke up from her nap.

I'd heard a lot about this book, of course.  It's been banned from schools and libraries across the country for it's perceived controversial content.  I'm always interested in banned books and often choose to read them simply to be contrary.  Needless to say, this one has been on my list for awhile.

Incidentally, I learned (or relearned) a word when I was doing a little Wikipedia research after I finished the book: bildungsroman is a word from literary criticism that refers to a novel of education or formation.  In other words, a coming-of-age story.  I think I knew that, somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain, but unfortunately I'm reaching that age when I have to forget something before I can learn something new.

The narrator of this book is Arnold Spirit, Jr.  Most people just call him Junior.  Arnold lives on the rez (the Spokane Indian Reservation) with his alcoholic father, his depressed mother, and his reclusive older sister.  One day in the middle of math class, something happens that makes Arnold realize that he simply MUST get off the rez, no matter what.  So he asks his parents to transfer him to the white high school 22 miles away.  In the process, he loses his best friend, faces multiple tragedies, and becomes a starting freshman on the basketball team.

Much of this book is autobiographical.  In fact, Sherman Alexie used a portion of a memoir he was writing as the basis of the book.  It's filled with ugly, traumatic events (death, violence, racism) and plenty of sexuality and language (it's narrated by a 14 year old boy - duh).  It's also hopeful.  And it's a vital story, one which young people need to be able to access.  It will ring true for many young people who have continued to fight in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

One very neat thing about the book is the illustrations.  Arnold reads and draws comics to escape, to vent his frustrations, and to hang on to hope.  The book includes 65 comics drawn by Ellen Forney (thanks, Wikipedia, for the info!) which contribute to Arnold's story.

Pages: 230
Find it on Amazon!