I have never liked Sherman Alexie's writing. Until I read this book, that is. This one was for my book club, won the National Book Award, and is perhaps my favorite read of the entire summer (uummm, maybe i said that already about another YA book? tough call, folks.).
Arnold Spirit is a middle school aged boy. He lives on the res, loves his grandma & sister, is confined by the poverty that surrounds him, questions his parents' choices, and plays most sports poorly. According to his first person narration, Arnold also has a stutter, bottle-cap glasses, a limp, a misshapen head, and his stature might qualify him as a midget. There is a self-portrait included. You see, Arnold draws. Ridiculously accurate, hysterical and poignant sketches. These are his lifeline, and at points, also the readers'.
This is a book about grace, escape, and the inevitable return home. I found myself reading passages aloud to anyone who happened to be nearby. There were so many things that resonated with me, I know that I'll return to more fully examine this heartbreakingly honest tale.
(If you're interested in the artist who rendered Arnold's drawings, check out Ellen Forney.)
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