I will preface this entry by saying that this is one of my very favourite books. I recommend it to friends (regardless of age) all the time; I follow Sherman Alexie on Twitter and Facebook. This is, surprisingly, only my second time through The Abosolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. My first time, I read it on an e-reader, and--likely through my own limited understanding of the reader's features--did not get to appreciate the drawings nearly as well as on paper. They are integral to the story and to Junior's character development.The beauty of this book is that it is written about a very specific character from a very specific place (Arnold Spirit Junior from Spokane Indian reservation). What I'm getting at here is that there is no blank-slate main character that readers can fill in their own details to inhabit the story. And yet, somehow, it is easy to step into Junior's shoes. He is an engaging and inviting character.
Sherman Alexie manages to single-handedly create an entire world for you, offering such sharp insight and detail into Native American Indian culture, that you start to feel like you should be keeping a diary as a part-time Indian yourself. (Sposato, 2013, para 4).Alexie (2011) writes about an encounter with a 17-year-old reader who attended an elite private school, but who nonetheless identified with Junior's despair at the reservation school, because his father wanted him to join the military, and he wanted to be a writer. (para 18-21). The appeal of the book is universal because it taps into the painful part of growing up--having big dreams, but also beginning to realize that we have limitations and that some of those limitations are extremely unfair. The longing to escape family, while at the same time loving them more than anything.
It is a book that embraces the complexities of life. There are no perfect characters. Junior loves his family, but needs to leave the reservation to pursue his dreams. His thoughts about parenting highlight this: "Ever since I've been at Reardan, and seen how great parents do their parenting, I realize that my folks are pretty good. Sure, my dad has a drinking problem and my mom can be a little eccentric, but they make sacrifices for me. They worry about me. They talk to me. And best of all they listen to me . . . but those white dads can completely disappear without ever leaving the living room. They can just BLEND into their chairs. They become their chairs"(pp. 153--154).
This book is so accessible that it would be easy to trick a reluctant reader into enjoying something incredibly profound! Junior's observations about friendship, "yep, even weird boys are afraid of their emotions"(p. 132), and asking for help when you need it, "If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing"(p. 129), and even his appreciation of the five dollar bill his dad gave him for Christmas,"it was a beautiful and ugly thing"(p. 151) are profound, but not preachy, which, I think, is a perfect description of a great YA book. Add to that a definition of grief that is absolutely perfect (for teenage boys) "When you feel so helpless and stupid that you think nothing will ever be right again, and your macaroni and cheese tastes like sawdust, and you can't even jerk off because it seems like too much trouble"(p. 172). Alexie in provides some humour describing the depths of despair. (Have I mentioned I love this book?)
Problems this book might encounter
This book has been on the top 10 most-challenged book lists since its publication in 2007. The book speaks about race and racism, bullying, alcoholism, violence, and masturbation. It can be a hard book to talk about, which, of course, is part of what makes it a great book. My son read this in Grade 6, and decided to present a book report to his class. Unfortunately, he chose to recreate some of the art, which works well in context, but comes off as really racist when a white kid does it. Fortunately, he had a good teacher, so some very good conversations happened in that classroom.
This is a book that needs to be in our libraries, in our YA/teen collections, and it needs librarians to ensure it stays there. Alexie (2011) writes the best defence of his book as follows:
I have yet to receive a letter from a child somehow debilitated by the domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, poverty, sexuality, and murder contained in my book. To the contrary, kids as young as ten have sent me autobiographical letters written in crayon, complete with drawings inspired by my book, that are just as dark, terrifying, and redemptive as anything I’ve ever read (para. 7).
References
Alexie, S. (2007). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. Little Brown: New York, Boston.
Journal. Retrieved from: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/09/why-the-best-kids-books-are-written-in-blood/
Sposato, J. (2013). The absolutely true interview with Sherman Alexie,
an amazing part-time Indian. Sadie Magazine. Retrieved from:
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