Noé Álvarez

Sometimes the topic of a book overrides and overcomes uneven writing, and Spirit Run by Noe Alvarez is one of those times. Growing up in Yakima, Washington watching his immigrant parents struggle to make ends meet, Noe always yearned for more. Still feeling like an outsider in college, he learns of a First Nations organization called the Peace and Dignity Journeys that hosts a run through North America as a means of connecting native tribes with each other and the land. Spirit Run chronicles Noe’s time with PDJ--the struggles, the triumphs, and the running. At times the writing really falters--both in subject and structure--but Alvarez does his best work when describing running, his family, and his attempts to connect with his history and himself. For me, the interesting topic and intense personal conflicts make the book a good recommendation for students or adults seeking books about running, adventure, memoir, or self-discovery.… (meer)