Review: RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME by Cynthia Leitich Smith

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Smith, Cynthia Leitich.2001. Rain is not My Indian Name. Harper Collins; 1st edition. ISBN-10: 0688173977

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Rain Berghoff’s story begins with a journal entry recalling her birthday 6 months ago; which was also the last time she saw her best friend Galen. Their close childhood friendship had just begun to show signs of turning into romance when he was killed in an accident on the way home from her house that night. Grief-stricken, Rain could not bring herself to attend Galen’s funeral or speak to his mother, and has been virtually a hermit since Galen’s death. This is not Rain’s first experience with the loss of a loved one, her mother died six years before, and Galen was the one who comforted her then.

One of the few Native Americans in Hannesburg Kansas, Rain acknowledges her Native American heritage, but hasn’t really learned more about it like her mother said she should. Her Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp is at the middle of controversy, and Rain has been hired to take pictures of the camp. Is Rain ready to take sides, stand up for her heritage, and start living again?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Cynthia Leitich Smith has set this novel in the mostly white mostly white Midwestern community of fictional Hannesburg, Kansas. Through first-person narrative, and the pages of Rain’s diary, Smith tells this story of fitting in, of recovery from loss and grief, of growing up, and starting to live again. Rain is a 14 year old girl, who has had several losses in her life: her mother died six years ago, her best friend was killed on Rain’s last birthday, and her father is currently stationed in Guam.

There are several cultural markers in this story set in a fictional small town in Kansas. The title itself is one example. Rain writes in her journal that “Rain is not my Indian name, not the way people think of Indian names. But I am Indian, and it is the name my parents gave me.” Rain refers often to being “mixed” and the misconceptions people have about Native Americans. Throughout the book, Rain casually makes mention of attending powwows, her mother’s tear dress, and the Indian Camp. The author is not stereotypical in her representation of the characters. Rain’s brother is a web-site designer, her father is in the air force, and she is into photography.  Leitich Smith is careful not to generalize the Native American population, and has Rain refer to the specific nations which make up her heritage. For example, Rain says that she is “Muscogee Creek-Cherokee and Scots-Irish on her mother’s side, and Irish-German-Ojibway on her dad’s side, and that her mother referred to their family as a “patchwork tribe.”

Rain is an appealing character who is easy for the 10 to 14 year-old target audience to relate to as she copes with friendships, loss, family relationships, her heritage and finding her way in the world.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW: “Some of Smith's devices such as opening each chapter with a snippet from Rain's journal add depth and clarify Rain's relationships for readers, although other elements (the detailing of song lyrics playing in the background, for instance) seem stilted. Even so, readers will feel the affection of Rain's loose-knit family and admire the way that they, like the author with the audience, allow Rain to draw her own conclusions about who she is and what her heritage means to her.” Ages 10-14.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW: “There is a surprising amount of humor in this tender novel. It is one of the best portrayals around of kids whose heritage is mixed but still very important in their lives. As feelings about the public funding of Indian Camp heat up, the emotions and values of the characters remain crystal clear and completely in focus. It's Rain's story and she cannot be reduced to simple labels. A wonderful novel of a present-day teen and her "patchwork tribe."

5. CONNECTIONS

Other books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Indian Shoes. ISBN-10: 0060295317
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Jingle Dancer. ISBN-10: 068816241X

After reading this novel, students could investigate their own family tree. They could question family members to find out about their own heritage and what things have been passed down through generations.