Indians on Vacation is a glimpse into the life of Bird and Mimi while on vacation in Prague. This is the most recent release from author Thomas King. First published in August 2020, Indians on Vacation has been nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.
There are some content warnings I feel the book needs. Those are: mental health, racism, and xenophobia.
Synopsis
Blackbird (Bird) Mavrias and Mimi Bull Shield are searching for Mimi’s mysterious uncle Leroy and the Crow Bundle in Prague. Bird hopes Prague is the last stop on their journey, as he’s not a fan of traveling.
On their first morning in Prague, Bird meets with Oz while having breakfast. They discuss various topics, including who they are and what they are searching for.
Bird knows what Mimi is searching for; her lost family story. But what about him? What is he searching for? Or who is he searching for? Does any of his searching help make the world a better place?
Positives
It’s great seeing a book featuring Indigenous main characters. Bird is Cherokee-Greek, and Mimi is Blackfoot. The more diverse characters in literature, the better! Only one person does not populate the world, and I love seeing the growing diversity.
The book discusses serious topics as we learn more about Bird’s past through flashbacks. There are also current affairs discussed in the book, like the Syrian refugees. Yet, the book doesn’t feel heavy-handed or preachy.
Negatives
Is it wrong to say that a negative of a book is that it’s too short? While the book is less than 300 pages, I would have loved to know more about Bird and Mimi through a longer book or a series featuring their travels.
My Opinions
On the surface, this book is about a grumpy guy traveling through a foreign city when he doesn’t want to. Look a little deeper, and you will see that it’s about a man who is feeling lost in his own life, one who has not lived the life he thought he would. In that way, I can relate to Bird. No, I’m not a retired writer, but I understand feeling lost in my life. I think that is something everyone feels at one point or another.
Bird has had a few different health scares, and along the way, he’s picked up a few demons. His demons are his companions in life. To help him feel better about them, or at least to give them a life, his wife named them. Eugene is the big macho one, with self-loathing in his pocket. Kitty, she’s all about the catastrophe of life and sees only how things can go wrong. Chip, he’s the chip that Bird always has on his shoulder. And then there’s the twins, Didi and Desi; they are all about despair and depression. I’m sure each of us has a little of Bird’s demons in us; it’s all about how we handle them.
I enjoyed reading this book; maybe it’s the fact that there were many references to a community that is about a 30-minute drive from where I live. It’s so great to see places you know mentioned in a book. Maybe it’s the fact I could see a bit of myself in both Bird and Mimi.
I truly hope that Bird finds what he is missing out of life, even if it’s just being at home with his dog, Muffy.
Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.
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