The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is written by Sherman Alexie. It was published very recently, in 2007. For more information, go to the book's webpage: http://www.fallsapart.com/truediary.htm. A sequel called The Magic andTragic Year of My Broken Thumb is currently being written. It will be about Arnold's sophmore year.
Summary of Book
Arnold Spirit, called Junior, lives on the Spokane Indian reservation. Rowdy, his best friend, protects Arnold from people on the reservation who like to tease him. Arnold still sees the "rez" as a cage, a place where being poor and drunk is sadly normal. Arnold wants to live beyond the reservation, so he leaves the reservation school. This causes a rift between Rowdy and Arnold, which comes out when their schools' basketball teams play each other. As Arnold continues through the school year, there are many deaths in his family. He learns his identity, in the middle of two worlds.
The plot mirrors Sherman Alexie's own experiences, as can be seen in his biography.
A Brief History of the Spokane Reservation
The Spokane tribe, like many other Native American tribes, used to live on a large amount of land. Their living spaces were reduced from over three million acres to 157,376 acres in 1881. Their reservation contains the city of Wellpinit, where the story of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian takes place. Wellpinit is a small town, which is heavily reflected in the book. According to the tribe's website, they have over 2300 residents, and growing.
Summary of Book
Arnold Spirit, called Junior, lives on the Spokane Indian reservation. Rowdy, his best friend, protects Arnold from people on the reservation who like to tease him. Arnold still sees the "rez" as a cage, a place where being poor and drunk is sadly normal. Arnold wants to live beyond the reservation, so he leaves the reservation school. This causes a rift between Rowdy and Arnold, which comes out when their schools' basketball teams play each other. As Arnold continues through the school year, there are many deaths in his family. He learns his identity, in the middle of two worlds.The plot mirrors Sherman Alexie's own experiences, as can be seen in his biography.
A Brief History of the Spokane Reservation
The Spokane tribe, like many other Native American tribes, used to live on a large amount of land. Their living spaces were reduced from over three million acres to 157,376 acres in 1881. Their reservation contains the city of Wellpinit, where the story of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian takes place. Wellpinit is a small town, which is heavily reflected in the book. According to the tribe's website, they have over 2300 residents, and growing.For more information on the Spokane tribe, visit http://www.spokanetribe.com/
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