Friday, December 11, 2009

Sometimes we're always real same-same by Mattow Roesch

Sometimes we're always real same-same by Mattox Roesch
320 pages
Published September 2009 by Unbridled Books
Source: Caitlin Hamilton Summie and  Unbridled Books

When Cesar's mother decides it's time to make a change, to get out of L.A. and away from her unreliable ex, her son who is in prison and the gang that Cesar has been running with, she takes the two of them to Alaska. Cesar's mom is from Alaska but hasn't been there in 20 years so neither one of them really fits in. As soon as they get there, Cesar is befriended by his cousin, Go-boy. Soon Cesar is wrapped up in the complicated world that is Go-boy's world and soon sees the beauty and hope that is the Alaskan village is finds himself in.

I always say that I love to read books about different cultures; generally when I'm saying this I'm thinking about different countries. Here's a story set in my own country but about a culture that I know almost nothing about. Roesch does a wonderful job of bringing the Eskimo culture to life and explaining how they have acclimated themselves to a world where they are combining the old and the new to a much greater extent than most of us do.

This book also takes a fascinating look at manic-depression as the story explores love, family, and friendship and what it takes to make your way in life. The book is every bit as quirky as the title would suggest but I enjoyed it very much. I'm hard to surprise as a reader, but this one literally made me gasp and drop the book. But in the end, it's a book that left me with hope that, if we work together, we can all make our way.

3 comments:

  1. Great review. I have seen this book around, but have avoided it because of the title! LOL! Now that I know what it is about, I think I would enjoy it....I'm adding it to my list.

    Have a great weekend!

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  2. I find it amazing that we never really learned much about the Eskimo culture. I've read a few reviews of this book and yours has made me toss this one around!!

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  3. I read my first book set in Alaska earlier this year (Lucy the Giant), and I loved 'visiting' a new place! There wasn't much Inuit culture in that one, though.

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