AZibbyMag“MostAnticipatedBook“*ASanFranciscoChronicle“NewBooktoCozyUpWith“*APublishersWeekly“Memoirs&Biographies:Top10“*TheMillions“MostAnticipated“*AnElectricLit“BooksByWomenofColortoRead““WehavemoreNativestoriesnow,butwehavenotheardonelikethis.WhiskeyTenderisunexpectedandpropulsive,indeedtender,butalsobold,andbeautifullytold,likeadrinkyoudidn’tknowyouwerethirstyfor.Thisbook,neveranythinglessthanmesmerizing,isfulloffamilystoriesandvitalNativehistory.Itpulsesanditaches,anditlifts,consistently.Itthreadstogethersomuchtruthbythetimewearedone,whathasbeenwoventogetherequalsakindofcompletenessfrombrokenness,andahopefromknowingloveandlossandloveagainbynamingitso.“--TommyOrange,NationalBestsellingAuthorofThereThereReminiscentoftheworksofMaryKarrandTereseMarieMailhot,amemoiroffamilyandsurvival,coming-of-ageonandoffthereservation,andofthefrictionsbetweenmainstreamAmericancultureandNativeinheritance;assimilationandreverencefortradition.DeborahJacksonTaffawasraisedtobelievethatsomesacrificeswerenecessarytoachieveabetterlife.Hergrandparents--citizensoftheQuechanNationandLagunaPueblotribe--weresenttoIndianboardingschoolsrunbywhitemissionaries,whileherparentswereencouragedtotakepartingovernmentaljobtrainingoffthereservation.Assimilationmeantrelocation,butasTaffamaturedintoadulthood,shebegantoquestionthepromisehandeddownbyhereldersandbyAmericansociety:thatifshegaveupherculture,herland,andhertraditions,shewouldnotonlybeaccepted,butwouldbeabletoachievethe“AmericanDream.“WhiskeyTendertraceshowamixedtribenativegirl--bornontheCaliforniaYumareservationandraisedinNavajoterritoryinNewMexico--comestoherowninterpretationofidentity,despiteherparent’sdesiresforhertotranscendtheclassand“Indian“statusofherbirththrougheducation,anddespitetheQuechantribe’sparticulartraditionsandbeliefsregardingoralandrecordedhistories.Taffa’schildhoodmemoriesunspoolintomeditationsontribalidentity,therampantcriminalizationofNativemen,governmentalassimilationpolicies,theRedPowermovement,andthenegotiationbetweenbelongingandresistingsystemicoppression.Pan-Indian,aswellasspecifictribalhistoriesandmyths,blendwithstoriesofa1970sand1980schildhoodspentonandoffthereservation.Taffaoffersasharpandthought-provokinghistoricalanalysislacedwithhumorandheart.Asshereflectsonherpastandpresent--thepromiseofassimilationandthemanybetrayalsherfamilyhassuffered,bothpersonalandhistorical;traumapasseddownthroughgenerations--sheremindsusofhowtheculturalnarrativesofherancestorshavebeenexcludedfromthecentralmythologiesandstructuresofthe“meltingpot“ofAmerica,revealingallthatissacrificedforthepromiseofacceptance.
