Review: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

“I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited. If you speak and write in English, or Spanish, or Chinese, or any other language, then only a certain percentage of human beings will get your meaning. But when you draw a picture, everybody can understand it. If I draw a cartoon of a flower, then every man, woman, and child in the world can look at it and say, ‘That’s a flower.’” -Arnold "Junior" Spirit

I’ve been trying to read new authors lately. I started two books and was so disappointed in them, that I stopped reading partway through. And then my wonderful neighbor recommended a book that I’d been meaning to read.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie is the story of an awkward teenage Indian boy who defies convention to attend a high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Junior is an aspiring cartoonist and tells his story with honesty and humor.

I loved both the story and the writing. I could have chosen any page at random and found at least a few quotable lines. Here’s a sample of one of Junior’s descriptions:

“It seemed like he was seven feet tall and three hundred pounds. He was a farm boy who carried squealing pigs around like they were already thin slices of bacon.”

I could write pages and pages about how much I enjoyed this book. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll just paraphrase my neighbor’s thoughts on the book: I’d recommend it to anyone and everyone. It’s a quick read—so go out and read it.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
By Sherman Alexie
Little, Brown 2009 Paperback Edition
$8.99