The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant
Genre: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Suggested Age: Teens, Adults
What is the book about?: ?: A collection of short stories that was the basis for the film Smoke Signals. These are Alexie’s fictionalized memories – things are exaggerated, embellished and filtered through a literary lens. If you’ve read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, you’ll be familiar with a lot of the characters. If not, you’ll be able to jump right in anyway. Some of these stories are funny, some are sad, and a great many of them revolve around basketball. Life on the rez isn’t pretty, and Alexie doesn’t spare his viewers. There is foul language and a lot of drinking, so be warned.
My Review: Alexie has a way with words. This book was entertaining but it still hurt like heck to read at points. The grinding poverty, alcoholism and death that seems woven into life on the reservation is there for anyone to see, and knowing that this IS everyday life for people got to me more than anything else. But life on the rez also has laughter and color and love and basketball. There’s dancing, there are powwows, there are fights, there is basketball. Did I mention basketball? Because there’s lots of it, woven into most of the stories. And the stories themselves are woven to each other. Unlike The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, this volume is more disjointed. The stories are 2-8 pages, making it ideal to pick-up and put-down. But it’s one that I recommend you read for yourself – there’s something in it that I can’t capture in a short review.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Beautiful, Painful, Poignant
Give This a Try if You Like… Slice of life, memoirs, underdogs
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library. Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each week at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available. If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently. We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!