Without Reservation

I’m not keen on Native American culture and history. I wouldn’t pay a dollar for the items showcased on Antiques Road Show, which are valued in the hundreds, sometimes thousands. I thought Dances with Wolves (1990) was over-rated. So I approached The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, illustrations by Ellen Forney, with caution, prepared to quickly abandon ship. It grabbed me from the get-go. Set in a remote corner of Washington not far from Spokane, it’s an uncompromising account of life on a reservation from the perspective of a 14-year-old male who believes he must escape. He is lucky to be alive, as he was born with swelling of the brain, which incited seizures, and ridicule from his peers. The route he chooses is an all-white high school 22 miles away. He often has to walk or hitchhike there, as his dad is sometimes on a bender or without gas money. He excels academically and makes the varsity basketball team as a freshman. He even has a sort of girlfriend, white. His decision is viewed by most of his brethren as a betrayal, and he pays for it dearly, especially through the loss of his best friend, a gifted though troubled, angry young man whose father beats his wife and kids. The depiction of life on the rez pulls no punches. Alcoholism is widespread, premature death constant. During the year-long narrative, the protagonist loses three people he loves. Somehow he persists, thrives. He’s easy to root for. Although the book is listed in the young adult category, grownups would likely appreciate it. The prose and dialogue are lively, the illustrations fun. My one quibble is its obvious politically correct teaching points which, mercifully, are not belabored. 5715 users at Amazon have rated … the Diary…, forging to a consensus of 4.6 on a scale of five. Published in 2007, it is still selling briskly and likely will continue to do so for generations. It is by far the best work about Native-Americans I’ve ever encountered. Then again, I am the last person whose opinion should be sought on the matter. Alexie, 55, has written poetry, short stories, several other novels, screenplays and a memoir, and he has received notable literary awards, including the National Book Award for …the Diary… He directed his own screenplay, The Business of Fancydancing (2002). Kudos on an awesome career.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find any info on Sharon Forney. Here’s one of her illustrations from the book:

Common sense headline from newsmax.com: “Sen. Braun: Why Raise Taxes if Biden Agenda Has ‘Zero’ Cost?” He represents Indiana.

Interesting headline from foxnews.com: “Last year’s heroes, this year’s scapegoats: Frontline workers livelihoods at stake over vaccine mandates.”

Great weather, good business at the floating book shop. My thanks to my constant benefactress, who delivered four highly marketable works of non-fiction, and to the woman who did a swap, and to the kind folks who bought items. Here’s what sold: a bunch of DVDs, one classical music CD; Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl; Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel, a used paperback of which someone at Amazon has listed at $579.95; Every Breath You Take by Ann Rule; a Nora Roberts translation in Russian; a volume of the Select publishing house’s four-in-one condensed novels; The Kennedy Detail by Gerald Blaine & Lisa McCubbin; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders: A Complete Guide To Getting Well and Staying Well by Fred Penzel; and this:

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