THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN

At birth, Arnold “Junior” Spirit survives brain surgery but he wonders if he will survive the Spokane Indian reservation, where he lives. The teasing about his lisp and stuttering is worse than the poverty and alcoholism that surround him. Rather than risk intellectual death, he transfers to a white school, where he and the school mascot are the only two Indians. The author’s rhythmic reading brings out the lyricism of his writing. Like his hero, Alexie has a storyteller’s voice: “that singsong reservation accent that made everything I said sound like a bad poem.” Conversations are written with humor and verve, and delivered with punch and enthusiasm. The author’s performance experience is clear in his pacing—from the slow, subdued style at a family funeral to the breakneck speed of a climactic basketball game. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 08]