In this novel, the protagonist returns to his Mohican roots after he's diagnosed with an incurable disease. His uncle is a native healer and he goes to him as a last ditch effort to heal but healing requires his belief in native spirituality. The spirituality theme is hit hard here and the most compelling theme for me was the return to roots and making peace with where you come from and the pressure of modern western life to buy in.

DNF - I feel quite conflicted by this book. At times, the style allows the narrative to flow in a genuine & immersive way, granting the reader intimacy with the characters. Yet, this same narrator undercuts the reader & it seems, he does not have a firm grasp on who might be absorbing the tale at hand. I found it odd that the narrator would pretend that vulnerability was currency, for example, as when broaching the situation between Abe & Alex (see their discussions about/around mental illness & therapy). This approach was not an isolated incident, in fact, the narrator often looks over his shoulder taunting the reader he accuses of not having an attention span to be able to grasp the minute details of the story - of which there are none, because he speaks everything that comes to mind. I suppose my qualm here is that the narrator's insecurity regarding the trajectory of the story & the information, has left me displaced. I am not the target reader here, one who needs a play-by-play or the repetition of information to grasp what is happening (see the definition of Mohawk terminology, for example). I came to find that the story's insecure pacing, its assumption that the reader was non-Indigenous, while teetering on its own heels through lack of fortitude in what it wanted to say, was not meant to be read by me but by a reader who would forgive it for presenting a story in a format that is highly utilized, predictable, & hollow if not employed with care.

The use of an alter-ego, or perhaps the vision Abe might have of himself had he been "more" of the elements that were meant to consist of who he was (the child of an alcoholic, a man, a brother, a poet, a Rez kid, etc.) made the story tired & dragged. I am inclined to believe that this format might work in an audiobook format but while reading it myself, I became annoyed by this version of Abe, one who always pretended to understand more than Abe, although they were the same person. This comes down to the tone; Domminick had value to bring as an essential part of Abe but he did so in a way that highlighted that he had maturing to do beforehand. That being said, I can appreciate that this is the way life goes, one is not always primed to share or reflect when comes the time to do so.

My conflict arises because Curtis is not a bad writter. He has a firm grasp of what he was trying to say & relies on the backdrop of a landscape he knows well, intimately I would wager to say. Yet, the plot itself is loose; editing & reshaping who his characters are would firm this story into the deliverance of a reality it wishes to be. Then again, reviewers already love what Curtis has written & I appreciate that not every reader is like me, & all the better are the libraries because of it. My criticism arises because I see that inside Curtis' chripy quirky narrators & the self-loathing that is all-too common among people (characters) who struggle with their identity & how the world interprets it, there lies the crux of the narrative - that very gem that glistens. Ultimately, because of everything I've said & that which I have left to the side, I leave off here. This book will be beloved by many readers & as a debut it is a wonderful effort (genuinely). I appreciate what Curtis has brought to the forefront of his writter's mind, the story he has to tell. I will be eager to see what he produces through his writing in future.

Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis is a deeply introspective novel that explores identity, homecoming, and personal transformation.
Through the lens of Abe Jacobs, a Kanien’kehá:ka man facing a life-threatening autoimmune disorder, the novel delves into the complexities of family, belonging, and self-discovery.
The narrative is rich with humor and heartfelt moments that i have come to really enjoy. though its nonlinear structure with frequent flashbacks, it can be quite some time til you follow. This may challenge readers who prefer a straightforward timeline like myself.
However, Curtis’s storytelling remains compelling, offering a raw and unfiltered look at the realities of Indigenous life.

Old School Indian - what does it mean to be an Indian, or Indian enough? Curtis's autofiction explores these notions as Abe Jacobs, a Kanien’kehá:ka from Ahkwesáhsne, travels back home to the Res when faced with a fatal autoimmune disorder. His family, identity, relationships are examined as things fall apart and he needs to pull himself back together. Hopeful and uplifting.

The story of Abe and his midlife crisis, hesitancy to return to his home, the family dynamics and the memorable characters made this a good read. But it was too slow for me especially in the beginning and the flow hampered by so many flashbacks. This back and forth plus side stories can be distracting to a reader who's interested in chronological tales. The character building and humor added to the story. If you don't mind the method of this storytelling you'll probably like the novel.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read Old School Indian.

powerful, insightful, well written, and kinda spiritual in an emotional sense. very awesome. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

4⭐️

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher from netgalley. thank you!]

a powerful and insightful book about a mid-life coming of age

My review won’t do this book justice. I made the mistake of stopping in the middle and reading another book (due to timing issue). Don’t be me. Read it straight through, preferably in a day or two. Maybe read it again.
There’s a lot here. If it weren’t for explicit violence and sex it would be great for high school class discussions.
Abe is our main character—a man who lacks internal agency. Dominick is our very self-aware, distinctly-voiced, straight talking narrator. Dominick has the chutzpah that Abe lacks. While telling the tale of Abe seeking Kanyenkehaka (Mohawk) healing from his great Uncle for a disease that may possibly kill him and at the least changes his life dramatically, Dominick educates us readers on various struggles of Natives/Indigenous/First Nations peoples. Also shared is everyday life on this particular reservation, traditions, beliefs—and not in a “noble savage” manner or placard in a museum way. Curtis does an amazing job. The tone and writing are spot on. The pacing is easy and keeps you reading. This could be a story about anyone dealing with a life-threatening condition and returning home, dealing with the home culture there. It could be about anyone going outside of their heritage. It is about those things and also about being Native American Indian—a group not commonly written about and on the best seller list (which I expect this book to be on several). Its both relatable and shares with us readers culture and consideration I doubt many of us are exposed to.
I’m not capable of writing a review to match the level of the book. You will have to read it for yourself.

Thank you to Zando and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review posted to Good reads

“Old School Indian” has so much to enjoy, including but definitely at all not limited to - memorable characters that feel fleshed out quickly upon their introduction, its themes of disconnection, trauma, and opposing ones of reconnection and healing, and a clever narrative forma. For me, my favorite part honestly was the sizable immersion into the Ahkwesáhsne nation, culture, and history, as I am personally always eager to know about the various indigenous peoples of the Americas after my public education pretty much failed me in that aspect. However, that was just one particularly large nugget in a book that is basically a golden read overall. I’m already hoping that Aaron John Curtis privileges us with another book in the hopefully not-too-far future. .

While the publisher lists this book in the Adult General Fiction/Literary categories, I found this debut novel to have a profoundly spiritual foundation. Not an in-your-face religious tone, but one that explores what happens when an individual loses their connection to their soul through life choices that lead to the rejection or loss of one’s roots.

Abe Jacobs, the protagonist, is one such individual. He is Kanien’keha:ka from Ahkwesahsne…. or in the colonized version, a Mohawk Indian from the St Regis tribe on the New York State/Canadian border. Having left home at age 18 for college, Abe never looked back and eventually found himself at age 43 in Miami passing for white, failing as a poet, and in a troubled marriage. It takes a mysterious and presumably fatal medical diagnosis to prompt him to return to the Rez. Guided by his Great Uncle Budge, an irreverent healer, Abe begins a personal and collective healing journey that reveals the intergenerational trauma all Indigenous people have suffered in the name of “civilization.”

This book is simultaneously full of wit and heartbreak. Narrated by Dominick Deer Woods, Abe’s internal muse, the author weaves a story that is highly evocative emotionally as it moves through different periods and reveals the horrific treatment perpetrated by white people – past and present. I was deeply touched by Abe’s story and his redemption as he reclaims his authentic voice and his place in the world. I highly recommend this book.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Thanks to Zando | Hillman Grad Books and NetGalley for the chance to read Aaron John Curtis' 'Old School Indian' early.

Wow. Stunning.

This is a story of a mid-40s Ahkwesáhsne man - "or, if you ask a white dude, a Mohawk Indian from the Saint Regis Tribe" ;) - diagnosed with an extremely rare and proclaimed fatal condition who returns to the reservation on the US/Canadian border and reconnects with everything and everyone he'd largely left behind when he departed to attend university in Syracuse as an 18-year-old.

This is an equally hilarious and heartbreaking story. Only through the physical pain of his condition and the emotional pain of the breakup of his marriage as well as the intergenerational trauma of the indigenous experience is he able to begin to reconnect and through the use of language (Native and English) the author just nails the humanity of it all. The history of abuse and attempted genocide resulting in the multigenerational trauma of the indigenous people across North America is threaded throughout the narrative with, again, much of it laced with this biting humor.

We easily bounce back-and-forth between different time periods as we uncover the story of how Abe ends up where he currently finds himself both geographically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.

As a first novel this is astonishingly good and deserves to be a huge commercial and critical success. Congratulations to Aaron John Curtis and the publisher.

What a special book! It introducing us to the Ahkwesáhsne community by telling its violent colonisation past, exploring the many generational trauma's resulting from this violent past, but it make us also discover throughout this beautiful story their culture, humour, food, some of their healing process and language (we even get a short class on how to pronounce an Ahkwesáhsne word). It's confronting us with our stereotypes on Indigenous peoples in a thoughts provocative yet funny and accessible way. A must-read for every person interested in learning more about one of those communities in order to work towards ending the inequalities they are suffering for too long. This book will stay with me for a long time, that I know already. Thank you Zando for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was everything that was promised in the description, I was so invested in what was going on and how the characters worked in this story. It had that historical element that I wanted and felt for the characters in this story. Aaron John Curtis has a great writing style that worked overall in this world.

"Old School Indian" by Aaron John Curtis is an absolutely remarkable debut novel that shattered and rebuilt me.

The story follows Abe, a man in his forties from Ahkwesáhsne (known as Mohawk in colonizer terms), who returns to his family’s home after living in Miami for a couple of decades.

Abe feels lost; his marriage is coming to an end, and he is grappling with a debilitating, degenerative, and fatal illness. After spending years passing for white in Miami, he is a go-with-the-flow kind of person, despite his concerns about the direction of his life. He feels disconnected and directionless and has unresolved issues.

Back on the Rez, Abe reluctantly reconnects with his family, friends, and his Great Uncle Budge, a healer. His illness creates lesions, which made me recall those during the AIDS crisis, another group of marginalized people left to die. It also threatens to affect his memory. This erasure parallels the loss of his people's culture and language. He is disappearing like the Ahkwesáhsne.

The novel is rich in culture and history, exploring themes of emotional pain, love, and joy. It delves into identity, survival, and the struggle against cultural erasure. Curtis skillfully presents a witty historical perspective while balancing a narrative that offers hope for the future, emphasizing the importance of self-worth and the value of one’s identity. The story is both heartbreaking and hopeful, leaving the reader with much to think about.

I wholeheartedly recommend this novel; it is one of the best I have read this year. I want to thank NetGalley and Zando for the ARC. I will be purchasing this book and recommending it to everyone!