Culture 4 Review - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

 

Bibliographic Information

Alexie, S. 2007. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN. New York, NY: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780316013680

Plot Summary

Junior is a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, based on the author's own experiences and coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

Critical Analysis

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, who is a Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Native American himself, is one of those books that stays with you long after you've read the last page. Told through the eyes of 14 year old Junior, a young cartoonist and lifelong outsider on the Spokane Indian Reservation, this semi-autobiographical novel captures the raw, painful, hilarious, and deeply human experience of what it means to feel split between two worlds. In the book, Junior makes the life changing decision to leave his school on the reservation, or “rez” to attend a mostly white high school in a nearby town. A town that is miles away with no car and no real support outside his family. He knows this choice is his only way out of a cycle of poverty, violence, and hopelessness. But that choice comes with enormous cost: being labeled a traitor by his community, facing racism from his new classmates, and holding impossible grief in his heart. Alexie masterfully balances heartbreak and humor. Just when you’re wiping away a tear, you’ll find yourself laughing, sometimes uncomfortably, sometimes joyfully, but always truthfully.

This novel is told in Junior’s voice, complete with his doodles and cartoons, which were illustrated by Ellen Forney. These sketches add so much to the reading experience. They give us a visual window into how Junior sees the world, sometimes as satire, sometimes as pure emotion. His art is his way of processing trauma. There are hard moments in this book. Moments of loss, violence, alcoholism, and prejudice. Junior loses several people he loves, and his grief feels too big for the page. But there are also moments of resilience, bravery, and fierce loyalty. His relationship with his best friend Rowdy is complicated and beautiful, and his awkward new friendships at Reardan feel authentic and earned. The cultural markers in the story which are both painful and beautiful, are told from a place of truth and lived experience. While some of the themes (like alcoholism and poverty) are heavy, they are not presented as defining traits of Native American identity. Instead, they are contextualized within a broader story of strength, complexity, and survival.

As a reader and educator, I would say this book is best suited for older middle school or high school readers. The language is authentic to a teenage boy, and while that includes some coarse humor and mature themes (like a cetrain kind of stash for example), it never feels uncalled for. Instead, it feels real. This book is about identity, race, poverty, and perseverance, but also about hope. Sherman Alexie gives us a character who is messy, lovable, and honest. In doing so, he invites us to look closer at the systems we live in, and to listen harder to the voices we too often ignore. 

Awards Won & Review Excerpt(s)

*A New York Times bestseller—over one million copies sold!  

*A National Book Award winner

*A Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner

* "Nimbly blends sharp with unapologetic emotion....fluid narration deftly mingles raw feelings with funny, sardonic insight." Kirkus, starred review

* "A Native American equivalent of Angela's Ashes." Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"Sure to resonate and lift spirits of all ages for years to come." USA Today

* "Realistic and fantastical and funny and tragic at the same time." VOYA, starred review

* "The line between dramatic monologue, verse novel, and standup comedy gets unequivocally hilariously and triumphantly in this novel." Horn Book, starred review

* "Characters...are portrayed with compassion and verve....delivers a positive message in a low-key manner." School Library Journal, starred review

Connections

*Part of the book was about how to fit into your neighborhood. Ask students to make a “rules” list for their neighborhood, family or other group that they are a part of.  Talk about the “rules,” which ones make sense and which ones don’t.

*Before reading, try to build a bit of background knowledge about reservations by watching an episode of 30 Days titled “Life on an Indian Reservation.” https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B001AQBR0U/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

*Research the living conditions of Native Americans. Are they treated fairly? What is a way that you would improve them?