
On my shelf since:
The husband read it – 1995?
My copy’s origin story:
(Paperback 1994 1st paperback edition) Again, probably bought by the husband. That said, not sure why I think of this as one of “my” books to read.
Why not until now:
Seemed like it was gonna be depressing (not wrong). Felt kinda like homework (also, not wrong). Later, problematic
Review
I’m not planning on speaking of the personal actions of this or any author. I have been reading up on the lives of each of the authors as I read their books, especially with books that are from a while back, in order to get a better understanding of what they were going through and trying to do. My intention is to read these books as they were intended – of and for the time they are from. This is my first Alexie book. I have read some of his essays, and at least one of my kids read Diary of a Part Time Indian for school. Even though the stories have many narrators and situations, Alexie’s voice and experience comes through loud and clear. I’ve tried to write more about the characters and their stories, but it all comes out sounding trite and condescending, so I give up. (Finished Sept 18, 2025)
Payoff (pages per stars):
223/4 = 55.75 pages per star. (Is this a metric I want to stick with?)
Misc Ratings (Out of 5):
- Voice: 5
- Meeting expectations: 5
- Plans to read anything else by him: 0

Leave a comment