Dec 29, 2009

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Setting

The novel is set in eastern Washington, not far from the city of Spokane. Most of the story takes place on the Spokane Indian Reservation. A smaller portion is set a little more than twenty miles away, at Reardan High School, whose students are mostly from rich, white families. The town of Reardan, Alexie writes, is “filled with farmers and rednecks and racist cops who stop every Indian who drives through.” Indians who do actually dare to drive through are pulled over for “DWI: Driving while Indian.”

No matter where Junior goes in the novel, whether to the reservation or...