James W. Bennett (1) (1942–)

About a teenager who's bounced around in foster care and is now living in a group home while he waits for his next placement. He's something of a loner and a bit distanced from other people, but has this ongoing fascination with Native Americans, especially the Dakota (or Sioux) tribe. He knows the history, legends, customs, religious beliefs, etc. His most treasured possessions are a real peace pipe and some authentic moccasins. But his differences get him into trouble, adults in the institution and at school see his moccasins and his general attitude as troublemaking. He really dislikes the system (kind of reminded me of Holden Caulfield) but rather than becoming bitter or fighting, turns his attentions inward to his dream: to become a Dakota tribe member. Literally. A dream spurs him to believe this is his destiny, and when he talks about it too much people start to think he's mentally unstable and he winds up in an institution for what's supposed to be a short stay. Not really a surprise. In fact the way he rambled on about his fixation with Dakota culture to people made me wonder at first if he was neurodivergent or an unreliable narrator. Nope. He just needs a place to fit in, and wants to live among the people he feels an affinity for- the Dakota. All these adults around him think he's simply crazy, for wanting to live in a different manner. And for doing things like trying to make a real dugout canoe, or attempting to dye his skin darker.

So he steals another kid's motorcycle (rationalizing to himself why this is okay, as he holds himself to a high standard of honor gleaned from his reading about Dakota culture) after fixing it up some, and runs away to a nearby reservation. It's not exactly as he imagined, but he actually gets to meet the chief, who after listening to him carefully and posing some questions, has him undergo ritual purification and isolation in a four-day fast to seek a vision that will direct his future.

The ending was satisfying, although I would have enjoyed the other direction I hoped it might go in. The story is not told completely linear- it goes from present to past and back again a few times- but in large chunks so not annoyingly. I did wish there was more time spent on what happened after he got to the reservation, instead a bulk of the story is about his frustrations in the group home and what leads up to his decision to run away. I found the character of his social worker a bit puzzling- it's pleasant that she was a new, "green" social worker and nice to the kid- he really needed that- but she just didn't feel like a real person to me. The other background characters are a bit flat- the chief is a good one- but then it's all told through the close viewpoint of the main character, so perhaps that's why.

from the Dogear Diary… (meer)

Sonny is a freshman basketball standout on the #1 college team in the nation. His whole life is about basketball: the practices, the games, and his teammates, although he's not a reporter's favorite at press conferences. He reconnects with Erika, his middle-aged cousin and art professor at the college who offers him a one-credit independent study when his eligibility is in danger. Erika cares nothing about basketball or jock culture and it's through her that Sonny sees life outside of basketball. At book's end Sonny chops his fingers off an in accident and his basketball career is over. The sexual tension between Sonny and his cousin was strange. Didn't quite get what Sonny's issue is with basketball; where's the indifference coming from?… (meer)

In James Bennett's I Can Hear the Mourning Dove 16-year-old Grace is trying to recover. Her father, with whom she was very close, is dead. She suffers from nightmares and hears her deceased father talking from the sky. After a suicide attempt, she's hospitalized under the care of her no-nonsense psychiatrist, where she tries to cope with her grief and deal with the stress of reality. After she's discharged, Grace still faces fear and depression, but with the help of an unexpected friend, she finally begins to cope, and ultimately, to trust. Most stories might stop there; the sick protagonist faces her fears with the help of an unanticipated friend, the sun shines, blah blah blah. But Bennett is a smart writer; his characters are emotionally complex and he does not back away from the stark reality of violence. This is where the book picks up. Grace is faced with more despair after she's assaulted by a gang of individuals she calls "the surly people." Back in the hospital, she finds rapport with a male patient named Luke, who's considered psychopathic. Again, Bennett's characters avoid the cliche of star-crossed lovers. It's not a love story, yet Grace and Luke find a kinship with each other; both are damaged and vulnerable. After Luke breaks out of the hospital, Grace is faced with the decision she is not prepared for. Ultimately, she conquers her immobilizing fear and anger and makes a conscious choice to reach out and take a risk to help Luke when he needs her most. The end is one of cautious hope.

I love this book for many reasons. The characters, both main and secondary, are well rendered; they're flawed and soulful and heartbreakingly real. Grace's fears are sensitively portrayed, and Luke is much more complex than a casual dismissal of a psychopathic diagnosis would suggest. This book is not for everybody, but for those who enjoy complex characters and understand the struggle with mental illness, this book will not disappoint.… (meer)