4 out of 4 stars
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At first glance, I had no idea really what to expect from This Jerkwater Life from James Zerndt. The cover is hand-sketched and the book is only 20 pages but this isn't a children's book. Far from it, in fact: this is a book that manages to explore a real period of time somewhere between the 1970s and 1990s in Wisconsin in which the Ojibwe tribe members were harassed due to a fishing treaty. These specifics are hardly touched on in the book, this is a (presumably) fictional short story that throws the reader right into things through the eyes of Douglas.
Douglas's father recently died and now he's in charge of his fishing shop. His neighbor Shawna is a member of the Ojibwe tribe, and the people in their small town are taking their anger out on the Ojibwe through destruction and even beating a boy mercilessly. Cops don't seem to do anything about it, partially because no one wants to make statements about what they saw - at one point a window is smashed and one of Douglas's friends saw who did it. He even tells the police exactly what he saw, naming the man responsible. When they ask him to make an official statement, however, he absolutely refuses to do it. While Douglas is still getting over his father's death, his conscience leads him to side with the Ojibwe and try to make a difference, but he quickly realizes just how racist and backwards things can be.
This isn't a book that beats the reader over the head with politics or facts. As I said, specifics of the events are barely even mentioned, but the book definitely succeeded in making me want to research more (which is where a lot of the information in this review came from). Above all else, though, the book is dripping with humor, wit and intelligence. It consistently succeeds at natural, understated humor as well as poignant moments without even necessarily realizing it at first.
Really, all I could ask to be different (aside from a few grammatical errors) is the length. This book makes me want to read a longer book of his, one with more substance. The book went by far too quickly, and while it was well-crafted (the ending really drives its point home), it makes me long for a bigger book - 20 pages isn't anywhere near enough.
In the end, though, this is a fantastic short story as long as the reader remembers that it is, in fact, a very short story. If you want a brief look into some rather recent racism and history that's full of humor, This Jerkwater Life is definitely for you. As I really enjoyed my time with it, I'm happy to give it 4 out of 4 stars.
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This Jerkwater Life
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