In this poignant collection of short stories, Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian Sherman Alexie paints a picture of reservation life that is at once lyrical and darkly ironic. Alexie’s characters live in an ethereal world where visions of tribal dances mix with government subsidies and graveyard shifts at the 7-11. Amidst poverty and police cars, the Indians of the Spokane reservation find relief in alcohol, laughter and stories of their shared heritage. With a spare yet powerful voice, Alexie reveals the tensions Indians face both on and off the reservation, as well the daily conflicts between the realities of their present and the traditions of the past.