Rain is Not My Indian Name Book Review

 

Rain is Not My Indian Name








1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smith, C. (2021). RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. Heart Drum.  ISBN: 9780380733002


2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This novel is about Rain, who tragically loses her best friend and is learning how to cope with his death. She struggles with her identity to her Native heritage but finds her way back to living through the lens of her camera. 


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The characters in Rain is Not My Indian Name are a diverse mix of individuals from Native American backgrounds as well as others. Rain’s heritage is Muscogee and Ojibwe; Muscogee on her mom’s side, with whom she identifies with more. Rain is described as looking more like her Irish dad than her Native American background. Whereas her brother has black hair and darker skin which draws the attention of several girls. Her aunt and uncle are also described by their native descent. 

The setting of the story is in Hannesburg, Kansas which is not a very diverse town. Rain has a few relatives in town, but the majority of the town is white. There are microaggressions from her best friend’s mom, such as implying her son was too good for her. The town has an affluent side and a poorer side, which is where Rain lives. Two other camp members live in a trailer down the road from her. 

References to Native American culture are woven throughout the book in thoughtful ways. First is the strong family ties to the extended family. Rain’s older brother and grandfather are her main support at home. Her dad is stationed in Guam, and her mother died a few years ago. Her aunt is also a motherly figure from whom she seeks advice. Her aunt also runs an annual “Indian Camp” for Native Americans and others who want to learn more about the heritage. Aunt Georgia speaks on the importance of knowing the culture of the Muscogee tribe. She wants to take the campers to the rice harvesting festival in the Great Lakes region. While Rain’s mother was alive, she often spoke of her family’s heritage and referenced her tear dress. Rain’s mom also makes a quilt that is described as a Broken Star quilt. This was given to Rain for her birth and is popular in the Lakota tribes. Rain reminisces about visiting Oklahoma with her grandparents, aunt, and cousin to picnics, powwows, and stomp dances. Rain talks about how she didn’t have to think about where she belonged; she just did. This is the complete opposite of her father, who just identifies with his Irish heritage instead of also embracing his Ojibwe background. 

Death in Native American culture is a celebration, and the afterlife is a large part of it. Rain, however, does not deal with the deaths of her mom and best friend head-on but rather through taking photographs. It is through the camera lens that she sees the pride her aunt has in preserving the Ojibwe traditions while also educating the next generation about the history and culture. Rain decides she, too, is proud of her heritage and joins the Indian Camp. Rain’s character arc is authentic in that as a small child, she knew her heritage and was proud to be Muscogee. The older she grew, the more out of place she felt in her identity because her outward appearance did not “match” her heritage. It took photographing her aunt’s camp to draw her back into her heritage and proudly embrace it once again. 


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

  • Book Links, 02/01/03

  • Book Report, 09/01/01

  • Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 09/01/01

  • Kirkus Reviews, 05/01/01

  • Publishers Weekly, 07/09/01

  • School Library Journal, 06/01/01

  • Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 06/01/01

  • Wilson's Junior High School, 01/09/10

Full-Text Reviews
Book Report (September/October 2001)

Cassidy Rain Berghoff learns to come to terms with the death of her best friend in this solid example of realistic fiction. The story is set in Kansas, in a mostly white small town where Rain lives with her brother, Fynn, his fiancée, Natalie, and her grandfather. Her dad is in the military stationed in South Korea and her mother is dead. Just as Rain decides to consider a romance with Galen, he is hit and killed by a fire truck. She withdraws from all the activities in her life, puts aside the camera that she loves, and closes up emotionally until her Aunt Georgia and Natalie work to get her involved in a summer camp for Native Americans. She becomes the local newspaper's photographer for an article on the "Indian Camp." Gradually Rain comes out of her shell and manages to deal with Galen's death. As this change occurs, she begins writing in her journal once more. Journal excerpts scattered throughout the book add pieces to the puzzle of what happened on the night Galen died and why Rain feels the way she does. Smith offers us a fine novel on the importance of family, grieving, recovery, and teen life. A good addition to junior high fiction collections. Recommended. Melinda Miller-Widrick, K-12 Library Media Specialist, Colton-Pierrepont Central School, Colton, New York


  • 5. CONNECTIONS

Foley, J. (2019). SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. HarperTeen. ISBN: 978-0-06-257191-5

Peterson, J. (2023). LOLA AT LAST. HarperTeen.  ISBN: 978-0-06-306018-0




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