The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time
Indian by Sherman Alexie. In Sherman Alexie’s first
novel for young adults (based in part of autobiographical details), Arnold
Spirit Jr. or “Junior” tells the story of his life on the Spokane Indian
reservation and his decision to leave that reservation to attend Reardan, a
predominantly white school. In the year
he describes, Junior falls in love, gains and loses friends and improves his
basketball (and fistfighting) skills. He
also suffers the death of several family members and faces the poverty,
alcoholism and loss of hope that are often part of life on the
reservation. Throughout, Junior’s funny,
honest and sometimes heartbreaking voice – along with the cartoons he sprinkles
through the text -- shows his wrestling with identity In a particularly vivid
way. Junior’s eventual realization that
he is not limited to one fixed identity, but that he belongs to many “tribes”
will resonate with readers far beyond the reservation.
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