Oh boy, this memoir is very revealing, occasionally funny and very hard to get through. There are so many stories of abuse, pain and suffering, it will make you sad. Read by the author, the audio book packs a punch. Alexie's mother passes away and it starts a long journey of grief and wondering. He and his mother had many difficult moments. She was a beautiful woman, a native speaker of his tribe's dialect but no a warm maternal figure. As you read about HER difficult life, when she was young and as a mother providing most of the support for her kids because her husband was an alcoholic who rarely worked, you get an "adult" perspective on things. But Alexie is her son and it was hard growing up wondering if his mother loved him. That is a difficult burden for any child. This book ends up not being a love letter from son to mother but a bit of a grievance letter. Despite all the suffering, things are revealed that give you insight into the author, his mother, his father, and other family members. The book is powerful, the audio is great.
