The Firekeeper’s Daughter was not what I expected. This book follows an indigenous woman who is trying to help herself and her community after going through some pretty horrible stuff.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian begins with a Native American called Junior who leaves his reservation to attend an all-white high school in a neighboring town. It tells his story of how he tries to fit in with the white kids yet still maintain his cultural identity, as well as attempting to re-befriend his ex-best friend from the “rez,” all while struggling to balance personal problems back home.
When Junior announces that he wants to attend the white school off the reservation he is not only ostracized, but tormented by his own people. As he dips one foot into the strange world of white people and keeps the other firmly planted on the reservation he feels torn between the better life he glimpses at his new school and the life he has always known.
