Maw Books Blog

Well, now I can cross off The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie off of my list. I’ve been sitting at my keyboard for what seems like forever trying to figure out how to review this book. This story seems to have so many themes for just a short little book that I don’t even know where to begin. What do I want to focus on? Maybe this post will have no focus, just some ramblings. Stick with me.

Arnold Spirit lives on the Indian reservation in Washington where he’s a loser and outcast. He has no hope for his future. His grandparents were poor, his parents were poor, he’s dirt poor. He has no hope because nobody ever leaves the reservation. It seems as though everybody has accepted their fate that “white” people are the only ones allowed hope and they simply give up on life. But Arnold can’t accept this and soon after having the following conversation with a teacher decides he wants to transfer to a white school located off of the reservation:

“But not you,” Mr. P said. “You can’t give up. You won’t give up. You threw that book in my face because somewhere inside you refuse to give up.”
[ . . . ] “If you stay on this rez,” Mr. P said, “they’re going to kill you. I’m going to kill you. You can’t fight us forever [ . . . ] You kept your hope. And now you have to take your hope and go somewhere where other people have hope.”
I was staring to understand. He was a math teacher. I had to add my hope to somebody else’s hope. I had to multiply hope by hope.
“Where is Hope?” I asked. “Who has hope?”
“Son,” Mr. P said. “You’re going to find more and more hope the farther and farther you walk away from this sad, sad, sad reservation.”

So he finds himself betraying everybody he knows by transferring schools. The Indians don’t understand him and the whites don’t understand him. Arnold says:

Traveling between Reardan and Wellpinit, between the little white town and the reservation, I always felt like a stranger.
I was half Indian in one place and half white in the other.

This book is really funny. Arnold is a cartoonist and his dairy is filled with fun and quirky pictures. I’ve come to understand that Sherman Alexie (visit his website here) used many experiences from his own life and the book is semi-autobiographical. Sherman and his character, Arnold, both succeed in breaking away from their predetermined fate on the reservation. I was surprised at how many stereotypes there were in this book. If it weren’t for the fact that this book was written by a Native American, I would be appalled. But Alexie says for him, the experiences were real. I also could have done without the masturbation (oh my . . . two posts in a row where I talk about this).

After losing friends and family, Arnold begins to write “joy” lists to “try to find the little pieces of joy in my life.” My new friend, Tarie over at Into the Wardrobe listed her favorite “joy” items and I thought what a great idea. So Tarie, here they are!

My Joy List:
The smell of a freshly bathed baby
My husband coming home an hour earlier than expected from work
The first signs that spring is on the way
Watching my two little boys having a great time
Thai food!!!
Sleeping in and napping
Taking time out for just me
Reading
A good scalp massage (heavenly!)
Finding the time to actually shower during the day
Vacations to Hawaii
Spending time with my family
Feeling the sun on my back while working out in the garden
Fresh tomatoes straight from the garden
Garden zucchinis, steamed and buttered!
A sleeping child
Knowing that one day we WILL vacation in Thailand
First time my little boy called me Mama instead of Dada

Well, I could go on forever. You may purchase the hardcover of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian for $15.29 from my BookWise bookstore and it will be shipped directly to you from your nearest Baker and Taylor fulfillment warehouse.

Overall, a fun, cute, but thought provoking book with some crude humor. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie teaches us not to be limited by our circumstances. To reach out for more. To live up to our true potential. Don’t give up. Everybody deserves hope.