Give Me Some Truth

by Eric Gansworth

[Sam@WLABB]

This was a sometimes wonderful, sometimes sad, and sometimes uncomfortable look at the lives of teens on a Native American reservation.

I really appreciated Carson's awakening during this story, and his growing interest in activism. He considered himself a ChameleIndian, a Native American, who could pass as white. He knew he didn't suffer as much as some other Native Americans. Then his brother opened his eyes to some of the inequities and injustices right in their own backyard, and that was when Carson started to become a better person.

I appreciated Carson's story, but I really loved Maggie's journey. After several years in the city, Maggie returns to the reservation. She had to adjust and learn some of the ways for the rez. She makes some questionable choices, but also discovers and nurtures her passion for art and music. I loved how she married her Native American culture with both her passions. I struggled a little with both her and her sister's romances. They were really inappropriate, but Maggie learned a lot from it, and it forced Carson to face some truths too.

This book had a soundtrack provided by The Beatles, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono. In fact, Lennon and Ono as influences for several characters. They are mentioned and vignettes starring the two are interspersed throughout the book. Needless to say, the book was set in 1980, and I got choked up, when Lennon was murdered.

Overall: An honest, thoughtful, and sometimes heartbreaking look into the challenges facing Native American teens.