Of course, not everyone has the same perspective on the book. Moreover, we’ve also discussed how someone would view the book as offensive, without even understanding the meaning behind it. He would take the time to realize that he didn’t need to be like anyone else to be successful. What I loved about this book is that Junior uses his struggles to help him see the world outside his Spokane tribe. We discussed how Junior represents someone who feels motivated to pursue their dreams and doesn’t let their struggles hold them back. I recently joined a Zoom meeting to talk about Alexie’s novel with other College of DuPage students, and we happen to share similar thoughts on the story. The book also contains illustrations portraying Junior’s struggles in a comedic way. He is determined to pursue a bright future because of all the struggles he has been through. I believe what made this book popular is it contains a character who’s very relatable to those who feel alienated. It’s amazing to see the book’s lasting popularity and how it connects with other Native-American cultures. I’m sure many students have read this book for a high school English project even I have. However, these struggles don’t stop Junior from pursuing a brighter future.

His grandmother passes away from being hit by a drunk driver, and his sister passes away in a trailer fire. Beyond school life, Junior also goes through some family struggles. Junior happens to get along with the Reardan students and manages to make the varsity basketball team. He transfers to Reardan High, an all-white school. However, Junior always gets bullied because of his disabilities.

Junior comes from a Native-Spokane background and attends a school with other students with a similar heritage. The book stars a high-school freshman named Arnold Spirit, Jr.

Since Alexie wanted to pursue being a young adult editor, he decided to use the book as a basis for his first young adult novel. The book is a semi-autobiography based on events that took place throughout Alexie’s life. The contents really stood out to me with both its comedic and emotional moments, and I felt like I really relate myself to how the protagonist feels in his inside-world. I first read this book back in my freshman year of high school, and I still love it to this day. It is a New York Times bestseller and won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a famous novel written by Sherman Alexie, a Spokane-Coeur d’Alene-Native American novelist.

The absolutely true diary