I was introduced to this book by one of my favorite
professors only a few months ago. Since then, Sherman Alexie has become one of
my favorite authors of all time. After reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight
in Heaven a few times I just
had to go out and buy it.
This book interweaves the stories of several Native
Americans living on the Spokane Reservation in Washington. Victor, his mother
and father, his cousin Thomas Builds-the-fire, and several other characters
make noticeable appearances throughout each story. Victor attempts to create a
relationship with his alcoholic father and Thomas tries to tell as many stories
as he can to anyone who will listen. Thomas is perhaps one of the most
interesting characters I’ve read in a long time with his storytelling abilities
and the power to bring people together.
“We are all given one thing by which our lives are measured. Mine are the
stories which can change or not change the world…I learned a thousand stories
before I took my first thousand steps. They are all I have. It’s all I can do.”
Alexie, an American Indian himself, details
issues that are common on the reservation, or rez, such as poverty and
alcoholism, but does so with great humor. From page one, I thoroughly
appreciated Alexie’s ability to create something funny out of a situation that
could be almost depressing. Each character is so real that I feel as if I know
them personally which is for me, at least, the marking of a great book and a
great author.
I relished every page from start to finish and I
highly recommend you pick up this or another of Alexie’s books at the library.
If you have some spare time you might want to watch some of Sherman Alexie’s
interviews online; his honesty and humor make him an incredibly interesting
person to hear.The movie version based on this book, 'Smoke Signals' is great
as well and you can even find it on Netflix.
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