You Don't Have To Say You Love Me: A Memoir

When Alexie's mother passed away in 2015, his grief was complicated by memories of a difficult childhood. His family struggled with poverty, mental illness, and alcoholism, and his mother was both protector and antagonist. This latest account is an honest, wrenching, and incredibly moving story about all aspects of life. The story is deeply personal—as if National Book Award winner Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian) needed to write it in order to untangle and understand his feelings about his mother and the lasting pain of her death. Presented as a series of vignettes, some in prose, others in poetry, about Alexie's life and family, the narrative transitions between styles, which feels natural as Alexie searches for the best way to present complex memories and stories. Readers familiar with the author's other works, such as Reservation Blues, will recognize many details about his childhood on the Spokane Indian Reservation.