First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

Oscar Hokeah’s electric debut takes us into the life of Ever Geimausaddle, whose family – part Mexican, part Native American – is determined to hold on to their community despite obstacles everywhere they turn. Ever’s father is injured at the hands of corrupt police on the border when he goes to visit family in Mexico, while his mother struggles both to keep her job and care for her husband. And young Ever is lost and angry at all that he doesn’t understand, at this world that seems to undermine his sense of safety. Ever’s relatives all have ideas about who he is and who he should be. His Cherokee grandmother, knowing the importance of proximity, urges the family to move across Oklahoma to be near her, while his grandfather, watching their traditions slip away, tries to reunite Ever with his heritage through traditional gourd dances. Through it all, every relative wants the same: to remind Ever of the rich and supportive communities that surround him, there to hold him tight, and for Ever to learn to take the strength given to him to save not only himself but also the next generation.

How will this young man visualize a place for himself when the world hasn’t made room for him to start with? Honest, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, Calling for a Blanket Dance is the story of how Ever Geimausaddle finds his way home.

Happy Friday everyone! It is finally that long-awaited day of the week as it means that we are about to rest on our laurels, albeit for a bit. Another work week is in the books. Friday is, without a doubt, everyone’s favorite day of the week. Woah. Today is the second to the last Friday of September. How time flies. Anyway, I hope everyone ended the work week on a high note. I hope you were able to accomplish all the tasks you set to complete at the start of the week. As it is the last workday of the week, it is time to party and unwind. It is time to dress down. I hope everyone is diving into the weekend free from anxieties. I hope that the weekend will provide a reprieve for everyone. I hope the weekend will allow you to pursue your hobbies or things you are passionate about.

An integral part of my blogging week is the First Impression Friday update. This weekly blog meme allows me to slow down and figure out my initial feelings about the book I am reading. Sometimes, in my rush, I miss some of the finer prints. This weekly update also serves a second purpose as it is the springboard for my book reviews. Reading-wise, September was dedicated to recently published books I have long wanted to read; this is a journey I commenced in August. These are books that were published from 2019 onwards. This literary journey took me to newly published works, including some Booker Prize longlisted books (Percival Everett’s James, Hisham Matar’s My Friends, and Claire Messud’s This Strange Eventful History). It seems that I might be able to achieve my target of reading at least 15 new books this year. Of the none-2024 books I have been looking forward to is Oscar Hokeah’s Calling for a Blanket Dance.

It was back in mid-2022 when I first came across Oscar Hokeah and Calling for a Blanket Dance, his debut novel. It was among the books that were touted as among the best of the year. Even without these accolades, the book immediately piqued my interest. There was just something about it that made me gravitate toward it. I guess the obvious reference to Native Americans reeled me in? Unfortunately, it took me about two years to finally obtain a copy of the book. Without ado, I immediately immersed myself in the book. The novel is polyvocal with the opening chapter narrated by Lena Stopp, the grandmother of Ever Geimausaddle the novel’s main protagonist. Lena recounts the love story of Ever’s parents, Turtle Geimausaddle and Everardo Chavez.

Lena was against her daughter’s marriage to the troubled Everardo. He was reliant on alcohol and had a nasty temper. Lena advised her daughter to bring Everardo to his mother to cure his temper. The couple, along with a six-month-old Ever, drove from Oklahoma to Chihuahua, Mexico to see Everardo’s parents, Lucia and Javier. However, on their drive back, border patrol police stopped the family and beat Everardo. Following this unfortunate event, Lena tried to help her daughter’s family. This set the tone for the story as the succeeding chapters painted an evocative portrait of Ever. It seems like Hokeah is slowly building up the story by weaving patches of Ever and his toward its conclusion. For now, Hokeah is carefully painting a portrait of the main character before he finally takes hold of the narrative; Ever narrates the concluding chapter.

Further, with each new narrator, the period skips. This allows us to view Ever’s growth, albeit from a distance. I believe that the intention is also to capture broader historical contexts such as the bombing in Oklahoma. Various elements are being introduced with each new voice but what I understand is that eventually all loose ends will be woven together by Ever. All of these make me look forward to how Hokeah will steer the narrative. I am looking forward to how the novel will unfold. How about you fellow reader? What book or books have you read over the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!