Once again Sherman Alexie has challenged me but ultimately delivered a profound reading experience. The book addresses our foster care system in this country, contemporary and historical Native American/Indian issues, and the power of the individual to make decisions about their own life's journey. I read this as our world is being challenged by the conflict/genocides in Iraq/Syria and the Ukraine. Flight offered a perspective for me to think about these events.
This is listed on NoveList as an adult/YA cross-over book. I found the beginning of the book, as sometimes happens with Sherman Alexie's writing, a much too graphic/violent for my tastes. I almost put the book down. But, I'm glad I stuck with it. Ultimately I think the book offers invaluable insights into violence and conflict. Yes, it's very hard to read at times--but ultimately it helps us understand the causes of and actually offers a possible path to healing wounds and reducing violence and conflict.
I'm not certain that I would use this as a book in a high school class, but it is certainly one I would want to have available in my classroom/school library. It's also a book I would recommend to study groups who are trying to come to grips with violence, conflict, and the challenges of our foster care system.
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