My Good Man

by Eric Gansworth

It's a rare book that can make the tried-and-true genre of the coming-of-age novel seem novel. There are the standard markers of the hero's journey - the trials, the dark night of the soul, the lesson learned. From Printz honor author Eric Gansworth comes My Good Man, a literary tour-de-force sure to turn the genre on its head. Brian, a 20-something reporter on the Niagara Cascade's City Desk, is navigating life as the only Indigenous writer in the newsroom, being lumped into reporting on stereotypical stories that homogenize his community, the nearby Tuscarora reservation. But when a mysterious roadside assault lands Tim, the brother of Brian's mother's late boyfriend in the hospital, Brian must pick up the threads of a life that he's abandoned. The resulting narrative takes us through Brian's childhood and slice of life stories on the reservation, in Gansworth's signature blend of crystal sharp, heartfelt literary realist prose. But perhaps more importantly, it takes us through Brian's attempt to balance himself between Haudenosaunee and American life, between the version of his story that would prize the individual over all else and the version of himself that depends on the entire community's survival.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Short Stories, Indigenous, Audiobook, Historical

1 pages, Audio CD

First published November 1, 2022

About the author

Gansworth is an enrolled citizen of the Onondaga Nation; however, he grew up in the Tuscarora Nation as a descendant of one of two Onondaga women present among the Tuscarora at the foundation of the nation in the 18th century. Gansworth originally qualified in electroencephalography, considered a profession useful to his nation; however, he went on to study literature and to continue a lifelong interest in painting and drawing.

Gansworth has written five novels, including the award-winning Mending Skins (2005) and Extra Indians (2010). In all his novels, illustrations form an integral part of the reading experience. His most recent novel, If I Ever Get out of Here is his first Young Adult novel, and deals with the 1975 friendship between two boys, one a resident of the Tuscarora Nation, the other living on the nearby Air Force base. In a starred review, Booklist stated that the book succeeded in "sidestepping stereotypes to offer two genuine characters navigating the unlikely intersection of two fully realized worlds."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Ga...

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was first put on my radar as a possible Printz-contender book and when I saw it again on a list of new books in the Dakota County Library system's YA section, I decided it would be my next audiobook choice. I found one of my favorite books from the past year, In the Wild Light by Zentner, in the same way, so I was hopeful this would be another winner. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Like others have said in their reviews of this book, I have similar concerns for who the audience is supposed to be. As a high school Media Specialist, it certainly isn't written for middle or high school students, for a couple of reasons. First, it's much too long! I listen to my audiobooks at 1.15x speed and even with the increased speed, it was over 16 hours long. (Part of this comes from the slow reading of the author, whose voice I appreciated as he read his own work, but was very slow overall.) The long, drawn-out descriptions of things like the relationship between Brian and Tim are not something a high school student is going to stick with. I was tempted many times to skip ahead. There is nothing "riveting" about this plot. It's a slow, steady, slog.

This was not a book I enjoyed listening to but I also felt compelled to keep going - wondering if it would get better, wondering how it would end, hoping the "mystery" at the end would be worth it. Unfortunately, I can't say that I recommend this book. And I wouldn't say it's one of my contenders for the Printz award either, but I'm often wrong about that!

[Amanda Renslow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and it was a special treat that the author was the reader for the audiobook. I had never heard of Gansworth until researching Indigenous YA authors for my students, so when I saw his book on the Libro FM ALC list for November, I knew I had to read it. I love the honesty, humor, and humanity of his writing.

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

reading this book was slow going- I really had to take my time with it. But it's gorgeous and was worth the time. Definitely recommended for thoughtful older teens or adults.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't really sure what this book was when I requested it from Netgalley, but was excited to get a copy and knew I wanted to read it during Native American Heritage Month, as I recognized the author's name as a notable YA indigenous author I'd had several books from on my middle school library's shelves. While this one is most certainly not for middle schoolers, I'm not quite sure who it is for, despite it being marketed as YA. However, I truly hope it finds its audience, as My Good Man is some gorgeous storytelling.

Brian is a young reporter at the local newspaper, where his main beat is covering small crimes from the nearby Tuscarora reservation where he grew up and where everyone he knows still lives. When he sees a familiar name come across the crime ticker, that of his mother's former boyfriend's brother Tim (a relationship definition that really buries the lead in terms of how he and Brian really know each other), he dreads returning to cover this story, but knows he must. Gansworth then takes us back to Brian's childhood and leads us fully through his teenage years before bringing us back to the present, and what the reader gets is an in-depth character study of Brian and those around him.

This book is long (or felt long on my kindle anyway), but that length helped to fully embed Brian into my thoughts and heart. The unique perspective Gansworth gives us, of a native teen seeing and processing the reservation and its people through white Tim's view, was compelling in a way I wasn't expecting. Brian doesn't necessarily explain everything about the Haudenosaunee language that is used or cultural habits and traditions the practice, but he does sometimes analyze what those things might be like for a white person living among them. Brian, while not flawless, is easy to love, and his self-reflection is admirable for someone his age. I'm not really sure what this story was about (the mysterious premise is not really in fact a mystery), but I think I loved it. Gansworth's writing is thoughtful, beautiful, and raw, and I think it would be a great selection for a book club or a class lit circle or something where it could be discussed. If you end of picking it up, I'd love to hear what you think!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Levine Querido for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

[sharara]

i thought this was so good! it was from the 1970s-1990s, mostly a pretty detailed depiction of tuscarora rez with some life as a reporter in niagara... i love watching someone grow up bc character study vibes and i think the way rez life was explained rlly put you there bc u got many different povs. a lot of unique relationships done well. however i do think the closure in the last few chapters was too drawn out to the point it was getting repetitive

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to 1/3 of this book on audio but did not finish it b/c I felt that it was not right for the YA list. I really like other books by Eric Gansworth but this just didn't seem to fit YA - it begins with a 25 yr old Native American journalist who's pushed by his asshole boss to cover stories on the reservation and to do so, he has to think way back to his childhood on the rez.

[Ms. McGregor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good, but not as good as it was loooooooong. I will read more - shorter - work by this author in the future.

[Evy Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and I do not agree with the other commenters saying that it was too long. I enjoyed the in depth nature of the story and the long sections of detailing different relationships. I would say it is definitely not for a YA audience. I would say it's an adult book.
Sometimes I did not understand what was going on in the mystery plotline, and there were definitely a lot of characters to keep track of. But I was invested the whole time, the plot kept moving, and I enjoyed reading it.

[Michelle Huber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it's me, but I just can't get into Gansworth's stories. I like the characters throughout the story and it showing the journalism side. But...I don't know. I just can't get on board. But I feel like everyone would benefit from reading this story, especially if you're into journalism.

Major thanks to Levine Querido for sending this book to me, ya'll are the best!

[Wendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Struggled a bit to get into this book at first, then decided to listen to the audiobook, which helped. Fell in love with the unlikely relationship between Brian and Tim.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Brian, a 20-something reporter on the Niagara Cascade‘s City Desk, is navigating life as the only Indigenous writer in the newsroom, being lumped into reporting on stereotypical stories that homogenize his community, the nearby Tuscarora reservation. But when a mysterious roadside assault lands Tim, the brother of Brian’s mother’s late boyfriend in the hospital, Brian must pick up the threads of a life that he’s abandoned.”

I can’t say I ‘enjoyed’ this book. Enjoyable books generally bring you comfort and feelings of contentment, and this book offered none at all.

It did, however, offer an amazing look at the intricacies of indigenous life, both on and off ‘rez’, with particular focus on living conditions, family dynamics, and everyday racism. It was detailed, but not boring. Pointing out differences between the indigenous and white communities was fascinating and necessary.

This could easily be two entire books – one of Brian’s childhood, one of his career as journalist and the mystery surrounding Tim’s attack.

I particularly appreciated that that the author narrated his own book, and the segments of Two Row (Wampum Treaty) at the beginning of each section. I’d seen picture of the belts, of course, but hearing the words associated with them was powerful.

Honestly, the books only drawback is its length. The audiobook was nearly TWENTY HOURS, so it’s a commitment. Like the best commitments, however, it’s worth the time and effort.

8/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Levine Querido, and RB Media for this marathon of an ARC.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. As I've mentioned before (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), Gansworth's memoir, "Apple: Skin to the Core," is one of my favorite books of the last few years. I've also read, and enjoyed (but not as much) some of his earlier YA novels. "Apple," while marketed as YA, struck me as more appropriate for adults, or college-age youth, and maybe mature high school-age kids. (I think, with proper guidance from a sensitive educator, it could be great in a high school English class.) This book, also marketed as YA, is big, long (400 pages, small type), and dense. And, although the protagonist is a teen, I'm not sure teens would find it compelling. Then again I'm not sure adults would either:(. I read about half of it. I wanted to love it. But I couldn't get emotionally invested in it somehow. I really wanted to get back to the mystery introduced at the beginning of the book, and started to resent having to go through the protagonists entire life story to get to it. Like, maybe make it one thing or another. I'm willing to accept that my head was in the wrong place for it, and I might appreciate it more at a different time. I think I would like it if the author would go back to writing more succinct YA books that are clearly intended for a youth audience, or try writing a novel that is entirely for adults. Also, maybe the publisher, Levine Querido, could market his books differently, and perhaps steer his writing from an editorial standpoint.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars... There is a lot that's good about this book as I look back on it as a whole. But it was just LONG... and in a way that dragged. I would have liked it better, I think, if it had been more focused. It seemed, instead, to be a meandering consideration of an entire life. There were character arcs, but they were so slow that I almost lost them... The characters that were there in the beginning are still there at the end (mostly), but there is a lot that seems irrelevant. Or maybe relevant in the course of a lifetime, but not concise enough for a story. It needed more editing down for it to suit my tastes.

[Native Lady Book Warrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 QOTD: What is your first read of 2025?

My first 2025 read is Eric Gansworth's My Good Man. Gansworth is Onondaga, Eel clan from the Tuscarora Nation, born and raised.

This YA fiction spans a couple of decades into Brian's life, where he reflects years back into his boyhood into the events, truths, and people that become part of his being and growth. Brian's career in journalism puts him in the position of the only Native person in a dominantly White workplace where he must navigate his role in "two worlds". But when someone close to Brian, ends up in the hospital, we dive into a slow-paced, full-circle story where Brian takes us through a self-discovering path that is in no short supply of love, hope, resilience, and hardship.

My Good Man beautifully delivered an amazing character-driven novel that was beyond a coming-of-age journey. This literary masterpiece gave me so much to digest, especially when seeing empathy blossom in Brian. Cultural identity is central in the comings and goings of Brian's rez community that is filled with humor, family, and poignant conversations and tales of messy but authentic complexities.

I saw many parallels to my own community, especially those that reminded me of innovative and resilient moms who made miracles happen for birthdays or Christmas, and especially those "how-was I-supposed-to-know" moments that had me laughing out loud or me placing a hand over my mouth while exclaiming, "Oh no!" The dialogue is to live for. I gave this read 4 stars. Eric Gansworth, along with Stephen Graham Jones and Louise Erdrich, has become an author that I got to have on my shelf. Thanks, Eric, for this wonderful book. It definitely had me reflecting back on the important people and community in my life.

Publisher: @levinequerido

[Al Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the book took me some time to read. A slow read but not a bad reason just because it’s deep and powerful and not frivolous so I wanted to take my time. It shows how life is on one reservation at least in one perspective. It’s hard to know what’s taken from experience, personal interpretation or completely made up. I guess I wish the author had explained this. I feel almost jealous in a way which I know sounds terrible. I just find the closeness and the knowing your neighbors and always being part of family and extended family even something I wish I had. The author seems to grapple with this as sometimes a negative and sometimes a positive which I do understand makes a lot of sense. The of course fact that outside of the reservation they are treated like outsiders and racism is definitely prevalent is not okay. I thought it weird and kind of disturbing that they call themselves Indians instead of natives or native Americans when that’s clearly not what they are. At the same time though I get that both terms are still given by other people and not their own. It’s definitely a deep thought provoking story on what it can feel like to be forced into an odd way of life originally by cruel people who didn’t respect their cultures and what it means to hang onto all different cultures. A good read.

[Ashley : bostieslovebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY GOOD MAN follows Brian as he navigates childhood into young adulthood, becoming a reporter and trying to balance life on and off the reservation. As the newsroom’s only Indigenous employee, he is tasked with reporting on stereotypical stories regarding the local reservation.

With fantastic writing and complex characters, MY GOOD MAN, was a wonderful read. Deeply character-driven, the story explores themes of generational trauma, coming-of-age, identity, racism, masculinity, classism, grief, and love. I found the pacing to be quite slow but that was ok as there was a lot to take in and unpack within the book. It was hard not to have empathy for Brian while reading. I really enjoyed the poetry and artwork included which meaningfully tied into the storyline. The author’s note at the end was interesting and insightful. Overall, this was a thought-provoking book. I am left feeling like it doesn’t quite fit within what I typically see categorized as YA. This seems like a book that could appeal to and be enjoyed by a wider audience.

I enjoyed MY GOOD MAN and would recommend it. This is the first book I’ve read by Eric Gansworth. I am definitely interested in reading some of his other works.

Thank you to Levine Querido for the giveaway copy.

[Mirissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is SO SLOW. It took place over like 15 years, and it felt like it took 15 years to read. The writing was also incredibly dense, highly literary and not the YA work I was expecting.

That said, it is a well-written own-voices story from a Native author. Brian is an effective and impactful narrator, and it was interesting to see him grow up on his reservation and see the things he had to navigate and endure. I loved that it was a story about chosen family and a non-traditional male friendship, something radically different from anything else I’ve ever read.

I read this one simultaneously with reading other books, and I think if I had tried to plow through it on its own I might have tapped out simply because it’s so much and so slow. I really struggled to decide between two and three stars because I didn’t really enjoy READING it but I enjoyed the story, why in makes no sense.

Also, Rush is just OK so writing an entire novel inspired by their discography leaves me feeling a bit shook.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It almost seems like the description of this book is misleading because although Brian’s work as a reporter and writer is a piece of the puzzle, the books spans so much more of his life and the people in it that it almost seems minor in comparison. It’s is a book about loss, grief, love, identity, family, tradition, class, Indigenous life and historical abuse, but it’s also about what it means to be a man, a brother, a son, a mother, a friend, and a father. It’s a long book with a heavy story, and it did take me a little while to get into it, but once I did, I was invested in the characters and had to keep reading.

The author’s note at the end of this book mentioned parts of it were published as short stories and at times that feels like what they are; however, all those stories come together to form a complicated yet complete image of the protagonist.

[Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Objectively, I think this book is well-written. I'd definitely classify it more as literary fiction than young adult, though. I don't necessarily think the author wrote this book iwith teens in mind, as it reads much more like an adult book than a YA. Yes, for a good majority of the book, the narrator is a teenager, but that doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be place in the young adult section.

I did have a hard time getting into this book because it's incredibly slow moving and while the content is interesting and important, it wasn't enough to capture my attention. There are people who will absolutely love this book, and I can see why it's getting good reviews, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Gina Malanga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brad thinks he has moved on, although being the only indigenous writer in the newsroom is challenging, until as assault of an old associate brings him back to his roots. The depictions of life on the reservation, as well as living as an indigenous man in this world were so good they were painful to read at times. At times it felt like two separate books, both equally powerful and disturbing, both discomforting as a reader. This coming of age is not for the faint of heart but everyone (myself included) should read more indigenous writers and character to know the joys and struggles of this community.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eric Gansworth has written a literary realism coming of age book. In telling of the mundane, everyday experiences of life. He gives a glimpse into the life of a young man straddling two-worlds. Neither world is fictional nor fantasy. Brian, the main character, shares his story through the people, places, and lives of his family and community. True to the literary realism, the story is focused primarily on the middle and lower classes of society. Keeping with the style, the book is a slow read. It is not a book I could suggest for the YA reader. It's too much for the typical level reader.

I want to thank Eric Gansworth, Goodreads #teamLQ for this ARC.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book must have some literary merit, but I really struggled to get through it. It was so slow for so long and for a long time it felt like there was no direction for the plot or the main character. The main character's loner lifestyle was hard for me to identify with in any way, which made it hard to empathize or feel sympathy for his plight in any way. His relationship with Tim was clearly the focus of the story - but it just came around in such a strange way that it took me a long time to get on board.
I truly struggled - yet I could tell that it has good theme, character development, and connections within the text. It just felt like a slog to get through.

[Chris G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man is beaten nearly to death and left by the side of a reservation road - so Brian, a tribally enrolled reporter on the local paper begins to investigate, though the victim clearly knows who assaulted him and is not talking. Brian’s complicated history with the injured man propels the story through Brian’s childhood in the 1970s, exploring the nuances of life in a close community. Wonderfully written - so many sentences I wanted to underline so I could return to them and think more deeply about Bran’s road to adulthood. An excellent book. EARC from Edelweiss.

[Kelda Giavaras · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I picked this up on Audio. The author reads his own work (my opinion: unless you are Neil Gaiman or Julia Whelan, DON'T) and because I couldn't embrace the author's voice I just couldn't get lost in this story. This was a DNF for me, but I intend to revisit this title in print, simply because the story itself is so good. This is a readalike for The Firekeeper's Daughter, of which I was a huge fan, so I'm sure once I get back to the print version, my rating will be much different.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for American history in all American high schools. This text is rich, profound, and layered both in the content of the story and the writing craft. The poems and art woven throughout amplify the stunning beauty of this anthem. Gansworth is now a member of the modern American literary cannon alongside Toni Morrison and Amy Tan. The way he explores every nook and cranny of relationships is outstanding. The concept of the two paths and peace in between gives me hope for the future. I don't like poetry at all but these poems I want to read aloud. Genius. Period.

[Colinda Clyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a book to get into students' hands. It is a poignant and heartbreaking coming-of-age. The first 40 pages are a bit slow, but let the slow build happen because once you get into the story, you can't put it down. The question of whether or not it is possible for Indigenous people and white settlers to live in peace is woven throughout the book, as in the lives of any of us who live on these lands as Indigenous peoples. The characters are so richly developed. Beautiful artwork interspersed. Can't say enough.

[Katie Rainer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent choice for November, Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving. I enjoyed the author narrated audiobook thanks to Libro.fm. This is a lengthy tale of a Tuscarora boy navigating the world of the reservation and city life, from a child learning from his grandfather through a young professional reporter pushing back against the ways reservation life was reported on. In between, many people play a role in his growth, referencing traditional hero’s journey tales.

[Natalie Lyman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audiobook so I feel like I was sometimes distracted and couldn’t give my full attention BUT it was a really lovely story about the power of inter generational friendships/ family relationships that was special to read. I loved the setting of this story and how we grow up with the author. How it takes a village and also just one person to believe in us and set us up for success.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this peak into Native American society. The effort for Brian to balance his heritage and community with the American side. Poignant, heartfelt stories of a young man learning how to be a man.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I have read a "YA" book. This one was excellent. Particularly satisfying was the ending which was as nuanced and complex as the rest of the story.

ReadHarder Challenge 2023, Checklist #17.