Alexie, Sherman. The
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Art by Ellen Forney. New York:
Little Brown & Co. 2007. ISBN 9780316013680
Audio Version:
Alexie, Sherman. The
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Narrated by Sherman Alexie, New York: Recorded Books LLC.
2008. ISBN 9781428182974
In Sherman Alexie’s own words, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is “my autobiographical story of a poor
reservation Indian boy and his desperate and humorous attempts to find a better
life.” (Alexie, 2011) This volume is on most
book lists as an acceptable example of authentic Native American
literature. (Actually it’s on all the recent
lists I’ve seen so far.) If you are a
teacher or librarian of middle school or high school students, it should
already be on your shelves.
Sherman Alexie has achieved much respect and recognition for
his writing and creative talents. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian is one of his best known works having won numerous awards such as the
American Indian Youth Literature Award for 2008 and the National Book Award for
Young People’s Literature for 2007. Additionally,
the audio version read by Alexie won the 2009 Odyssey Award. School
Library Journal named it one of the “Best Books of 2007.”
As much as it has been awarded, this book has also been the
subject of controversy and even banned in some school libraries. There is no question that the story contains
adult situations, tragedy, irreverence, and profanity, but the message is also
worthy. Reading consultant, Dr. Karen
Gibson, surveys “very rough language, very beautiful message.”
Alexie tells his story in titled episodic chapters
embellished with cartoon drawings by Ellen Forney. The cartoons are represented as the personal cartoons
drawn by the protagonist, Arnold Spirit, Jr. aka Junior. Junior is convinced by his math teacher that
he must leave the reservation if he is to have any hope for his future. He thus decides to enroll in a white school
22 miles away and begins his life as a “part-time” Indian. He faces racism at
the white school and rejection from his tribe.
Alexie does not shy away from addressing Native American stereotypes. He balances the good and evil attributes of
his nationality with brutal honesty and piercing humor. For example, on page 183 Junior explains, “On
the rez, you know every kid’s father, mother grandparents, dog, cat, and shoe
size. I mean, yeah, Indians are screwed up, but we’re really close to each
other. We KNOW each other. Everybody knows everybody.” Alternately, on page 205, Junior, facing a
family tragedy, rages internally, “OF COURSE THEY WERE DRUNK! THEY’RE INDIANS!” He muses in grief that at age 14 he had been to
42 funerals. Ninety percent of the deaths were alcohol related, and he knew only
5 people in his tribe who had never had alcohol. On a different subject, Junior
metaphorically rolls his eyes at whites by saying “Do you know how many white strangers
show up on Indian reservations every year and start telling Indians how much
they love them? Thousands. It’s sickening. And boring.”
It is a testament to Alexie’s talent that he can write a
story filled with pain yet bathed in humor and joy. School
Library Journal says, “Sherman provides a glimpse into an unfamiliar
culture and maintains a balance between the bleak reality of reservation life
and the stunning beauty of a loving family and friendship.” I highly recommend the Odyssey winning audio
version read by Alexie himself, but the book version is equally important
because of the cartoons which Book List notes
“often provide more insight than the narrative.”
This book is appropriate for older students and its inclusion
into the classroom curriculum would be beneficial for youth navigating issues
with alcoholism, abuse, racism, and rejection.
I would also recommend an article written by Alexie in the Wall Street Journal in defense of his controversial
subject matter. His article is entitled,
“Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood.”
He explains, “I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to
bleed.”
Works Cited
Alexie, S. (2011, June 9). Why the Best Kids Books
Are Written in Blood. The Wall Street Journal.
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