#29: Flight

Flight is a pretty short novel by Sherman Alexie, which I picked up shortly after finishing The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (review coming soon). It describes the life of a nameless Indian (at least in part) protagonist known as Zits (although his name is revealed later) who is about to embark on a terrible action.

Zits has been in and out of various foster homes throughout his life. At the beginning of the story, he runs away from a foster home, but not before hitting the foster mother on the way out. He is arrested, and while in jail, he meets a white boy named Justice. After his release, Zits goes to stay with Justice in an abandoned warehouse. Justice has guns, both real and paintball, which he and Zits fool around with. Justice apologizes for the treatment of Native Americans over time, and he and Zits spend time training, leading up to the incident when Zits enters a bank in Seattle with the guns and the intention of using them.

At this point, it jumps into the interesting narration technique used in the book. Zits begins inhabiting other people's bodies at various points through time, including a racist FBI agent working against Native American activists, an aged Indian tracker and a mute son of an important Indian leader at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Each of these situations is developed nicely as the story goes along.

As Zits passes through each of these situations, he is struck by his inability to do what is right, whether real or just because he is expected to act a certain way. He develops compassion, and is compelled to do what he believes is right, even if it doesn't quite fit with the beliefs of the time.

Flight was an excellent book, although I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Part-Time Indian. As you read, you get to follow the growth of the character, who is basically a throwaway as a human being, into something much more. It makes you hopeful for some of those who are in situations like this in real life.