A review by posies23
How I Became a Ghost, Book 1: A Choctaw Trail of Tears Story by Tim Tingle

4.0

This short novel is the first in a proposed trilogy chronicling the 1830 journey of the Choctaw in the Trail of Tears. The story is told by Isaac, a young Choctaw who can see ghosts, and is told that he will soon become one. The book is told in Isaac's world, and through his point of view, so it uses simple language and stark imagery to tell the story of his family and tribe as they are removed from their homeland and begin the long process of their relocation. Along the way, the reader comes to see the harsh realities of their life, and the brutalities forced on them by some, but not all, of the soldiers that accompany them. There are supernatural elements scattered throughout, which add to the engaging nature of the story, and some surprisingly humorous moments. All of this add up to a powerful first part of a story that I hope will continue to build, engage, and educate.

My one quibble is that a few of the historical elements aren't spelled out very clearly in the text. It's nothing that a cursory internet search wouldn't clear up for most people, or some scaffolded class notes for students reading the book, but a few pieces (and especially the ending) seemed a bit oblique from my perspective. (Which is, of course, a 43-year-old male, midwestern middle school English teacher. So . . . take that for what it's worth.)