Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

Synopsis from Goodreads: 
Antonio Marez is six years old when Ultima enters his life. She is a curandera, one who heals with herbs and magic. 'We cannot let her live her last days in loneliness,' says Antonio's mother. 'It is not the way of our people,' agrees his father. And so Ultima comes to live with Antonio's family in New Mexico. Soon Tony will journey to the threshold of manhood. Always, Ultima watches over him. She graces him with the courage to face childhood bigotry, diabolical possession, the moral collapse of his brother, and too many violent deaths. Under her wise guidance, Tony will probe the family ties that bind him, and he will find in himself the magical secrets of the pagan past—a mythic legacy equally as palpable as the Catholicism of Latin America in which he has been schooled. At each turn in his life there is Ultima who will nurture the birth of his soul.

My Thoughts: 
Bless me, Rudolfo. I tried. I really tried. But after forcing myself to finish the 5th chapter, I just couldn't justify making myself read a book I couldn't get into. Life's too short! Now that being said, I appreciated Anaya's language and imagery. He writes with a fierce connection to nature which is why I'm so bummed I couldn't get into the story. What made me put this book down was the slow-moving story and the lack of connection I felt with the characters. Ultima was the most colorful and interesting of the bunch, but it still wasn't enough to make me keep reading. 

         Who knows, maybe this book gets REALLY good in chapter 6. If so, then I missed out on it. Give the book a try and maybe it will be different for you. Just because it didn't grab me doesn't mean it's not worth reading. Rudolfo Anaya is praised in the Chicano literature canon so it can't be for nothing. 

The Author

Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie

Book Synopsis from Goodreads: 
The life of Spokane Indian Thomas Builds-the-Fire irrevocably changes when blues legend Robert Johnson miraculously appears on his reservation and passes the misfit storyteller his enchanted guitar. Inspired by this gift, Thomas forms Coyote Springs, an all-Indian Catholic band who find themselves on a magical tour that leads from reservation bars to Seattle and New York--and deep within their own souls.

My Thoughts:
Prepare yourself for heavy. This is not a light inspirational story. It's inspirational, but there are moments that are incredibly bleak. This was my first Sherman Alexie title and he definitely has a unique way of writing. He doesn't utilize the typical novel format, but instead branches out in an almost cyclical way giving you quick short perspectives of the whole. My favorite element of his writing style is his use of symbolism and magical realism.  It offers a sometimes shocking contrast to the reality of the characters.
            As far as the characters and subject matter goes, you get a very intimate glimpse into each character's past and their lack of direction and sadness become your own. What I appreciated most was how Alexie describes how reservation life really is. I grew up watching movies that romanticized Native Americans and probably to their detriment. Reading this book was an eye-opener and if his portrayal is anywhere near the truth it should be told more so that the romanticized version can be put to rest. In the face of all the other issues this country deals with, it seems as if awareness of reservation poverty is nonexistent. Considering that one of the first reservations was created in 1758, it's a problem that has been around for awhile. This almost doomed tribal fate becomes the fate of each character in the book as they struggle to keep moving forward despite circumstances continuously bringing them down. It's an eye-opener. Do not read this if you're wanting a light read. Read it because you want to be informed. And especially read it if you're caught up in the romanticized version of the Native American. This is their side as it stands today.


Favorite Quote:
"In a dream, Chess, Checkers, and Thomas sat at the drum with Big Mom during the powwow. All the Spokane Indians crowded around the drum, too. They all pounded the drum and sang. Big Mom taught them a new song, the shadow horses' song, the slaughtered horses' song, the screaming horses' song, a song of mourning that would become a song of celebration: we have survived, we have survived. They would sing and sing, until Big Mom pulled out that flute built of the bones of the most beautiful horse who ever lived. She'd play a note, then two, three, then nine hundred. One for each of the dead horses. Then she'd keep playing, nine hundred, nine thousand, nine million, one note for each of the dead Indians."

The Author

Author Tidbit: Alexie grew up on the Spokane Reservation. He was born with hydrocephalus and had to have surgery at 6 months old. His chances of surviving were slim and doctors expected him to, at the best, have mental disabilities. Instead, he's become a well-respected writer. "Reservation Blues" won 1 of the 15 American Book Awards in 1996 and he has gone on to receive several other awards including having a film (Smoke Signals) based on his collection of short stories, "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven."