In the Sun's House

Starred review from November 15, 2009
In a welcome departure from the old trope of a white teacher going to teach students from an ethnic minority group and finding great success where others have failed, this monograph details Caswell's trials and tribulations teaching Navajo students in the Borrego Pass community in New Mexico for one year. Caswell (creative writing & literature, Texas Tech Univ.) documents the missteps that led to his alienation from his students, their parents, and the school board. Poignantly, he comes to see that although he came to appreciate the beauty of the locale and its people, he also could not wait to get away after the completion of the school year. VERDICT This beautifully written book serves as a cautionary tale that diversity cannot be taught in a classroom but needs to be experienced, no matter how difficult. Required reading for anyone interested in education or diversity issues.John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY

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