Old School Indian

by Aaron John Curtis, Jason Grasl (Narrator)

An astonishing coming-of-middle-age debut about an Ahkwesáhsne man’s reluctant return home, Old School Indian is a striking exploration of the resonance of love and family, culture and history.

Forty-three-year-old Abe Jacobs has been told by his doctors that he’s dying—and fast. Having exhausted his doctors’ regimens, he begins to contemplate the one path he thought he’d never take: a healing at the hands of his great uncle Budge Billings. His uncle still lives on the Ahkwesáhsne reservation where Abe was raised, so more than two decades after leaving, Abe reluctantly returns home.

Budge, a wry, unceremonious, recovered alcoholic, is not the least bit sentimental about his gift. Which is good, because Abe’s last-ditch attempt to be healed is just that—a fragile hope, one of which he is thoroughly skeptical. But no healing is possible without hope or knowing oneself. To find both faith and himself again, Abe must confront how leaving the reservation at eighteen has affected him, and the loves and fears that have kept him far from home ever since.

Delivered with crackling wit and wildly inventive linguistic turns by Abe’s wise-cracking, would-be-poet alter-ego, Dominick Deer Woods, Old School Indian possesses the insight into the contemporary indigenous experience of Tommy Orange’s There There and Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence, and a singularity of voice that evokes other unforgettable protagonists like Ocean Vuong’s Little Dog and Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead.

Genres: Fiction, Indigenous, Native American, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Race

10 pages, Audiobook

First published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Dona's Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-Read Notes:

I don't have much info going in and I'm glad. The opening, including the author's intro, hits hard and says a lot about colonization through language.

"All three of their cards had arrived in the mail on the same day, numbered one after the other. They’d jumped around the kitchen, waving the letters from the tribal clerk over their heads, yelling, “We’re Indians, we’re Indians!” and laughing at the absurdity of it all." p40

"There’s no Mohawk word for love so let’s say I’m so very lucky to be alive while you are." p242

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) Just...read this one, please. It is an edifying read for sure.

My 4 Favorite Things:

✔️ I adore how much space this narrator makes for considerations about language. It's brilliantly meta and decolonizing at the same time as this narrator argues with an invisible reader that doubts the book's claim on language-- that it belongs unquestionably to the author.

✔️ Brilliant form, a complete mashup of brutally sharp prose and poetry that makes you reach for meaning. A gorgeous read. Also, so much to learn about the history of Indians in this country.

✔️ For thousands of years, Mohawks have known trauma lives in the body and is passed on to future generations. Whitescience never listened to us. Thankfully, Whitescience “discovered” epigenetic trauma by torturing mice, so we can add that to the Natives-told-you-so pile. p143 I can't begin to describe what this book is doing to me. It's jarring to read something so powerful and subversive that is also completely relatable and accessible.

✔️ This read expanded my mind on a huge number of things, including (most surprisingly) polyamory. I really enjoyed the close analysis of sexual politics portrayed in that part of the book. I learned a great deal from how this element evolved throughout the book. I've never seen a writer attempt to decolonize so many ideas at once-- sex, English, the Akwesasne language, love, fiction, poetry, and genre, and form in general. It was such a successful choice

Notes:

1. content warnings: colonization, racism, addiction, alcoholism, polyamory, cheating, open wounds

2. This book contains open door sex scenes, but don't mistake it for smut. It has an important point.

I found an accessible digital copy of OLD SCHOOL INDIAN by Aaron John Curtis in Libby. Thank you also to the author and publishers, Zando Books, and NetGalley for a digital arc. All views are my own.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, the idea of a coming-of-middle-age story captured me when I read the blurb for "Old School Indian", and I knew I had to request a galley of it. Maybe it was the spin on the typical coming-of-age genre, or maybe it's because I, myself, am approaching the years in which the main character, Abe, finds himself rethinking and revisiting his life.

I'd describe the structure of this book as meandering--the main conflict of resolving his disease (which serves as a larger central metaphor) drifts between flashbacks narrated by Dominick Deer Woods (the Indian as perceived by the White gaze), and he's in no hurry to get there. I loved the narrative voice of Dominick as both an internal and external perspective of Abe. While it did take me awhile to figure out who was narrating and what the purpose of the intercalary poems/chapters was, once it's revealed, it adds more depth to the understanding of the themes, social commentary, and character.

This book wasn't a particularly happy read, and many of the events and characters made me upset or mad. (Don't get me started on Alex...) But despite that, I found myself writing down many passages from this one, and not just in the more reflective moments, but within the dialogue too. While this isn't a book I'd recommend for a classroom, I can see taking sections or chapters from it to pair with other texts for a comparison or a supplement.

[Jason Laipply · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic, fantastic book…4.5 stars for me.

Full of insights into the contradictory nature of the human experience, this work educates, humors, teaches, emotes, and shines light on so many of the big questions that must be considered in a well lived life.

I’m THRILLED that the author will be at my home bookstore next week and that I’ll get to listen to him discuss his first novel while eagerly awaiting his next effort.

[Nicole Means · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying when I started this book, I absolutely could not put it down— I read over 70 pages in my first reading. I was immediately pulled into the surprising, witty voice that was used to explore one man’s path to exploring his own trauma. However, during my 2nd reading, there were some parts of the story that were so unnecessary and really just irritated for me. I’m all about romance but when the main character, Abe, becomes entangled with his new polyamorous girlfriend, Alex, that’s when I lost interest. Don’t get me wrong— I’m all about experimentation but that element added nothing to the story for me except another 100 pages…. I don’t know if Abe’s sexual exploration was a way for him to “fill his void” (see what I did there?) but I didn’t need to be privy to all the details.

The narrator of the story, Abe’s alter-ego, Dominick Deer Woods, made up for every element of Abe’s story that was robbed with the unsolicited sex. His banter, perspective, and humor had me laughing out loud so many times I think the rest of my family thought my constant cackling!!

The author slowly unfolds the story using Dominick’s voice to reveal why generational trauma still exists today— forced sterilization, colonialism, land theft, boarding schools— so many lies that are covered up in our history books. The fact that a tribal card system—as if blood can be quantified— still exists is disturbing because it is all contingent on whether your parents or grandparents filed for a card. If they didn’t, then you aren’t Native? The system is absolutely absurd and, yet, still exists.

One thing that resonated with me is how food is used throughout the story and I do think that is one way that really helps Abe find the connections to his family that he needs to heal. Once he is able to focus on the important parts of himself, his family, and his history, he is able to let go of his pain and finally begin to fill that void that has been empty for so long.

This book would have been a 5 star book if Abe’s tryst with Alex would have not taken up so much of the storyline.

[Stephanie C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited to read as I am such a fan of Indigenous authors, and the witty prose is no exception. Still, though, I felt that Abe (main character) having an incredibly rare disorder was a bit too much to swallow - honestly, the story would have been much more effective without this unbelievable element - and that the excruciatingly gross descriptions were unnecessary. Too, there were quite a few explicit sex scenes that, again, could have easily been left out, as they didn’t add much to the story and were rather gratuitous. I was hoping for more, but unfortunately I felt this one, especially compared to Tommy Orange or Louise Erdrich (as the jacket suggests) pales in comparison to the masters.

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

_Old School Indian_ is a debut that features a clear and compelling voice and plot. For me, this was a heavy but engaging read.

Abe is a fascinating character whose interest in identity, romantic and physical connections, and general approach to life make him intriguing to follow. As he continues to face life's challenges - some of which are unfairly placed on him and others he brings on himself - he gets closer to finding answers about who he is and how he operates with others.

In addition to Abe, there are a number of ancillary characters who add texture to this read. Alex, Abe's long-term romantic partner, was my favorite of these to read (though she has some solid competition). The poetry serves as another form of voice, and it becomes one of the most unique and appealing aspects of this text as both Abe and the plot evolve.

I took my time with this one because of that aforementioned heaviness, but this is a great read for those in the right headspace to encounter the material. The revelations about growth, self-discovery, and identity are particularly well articulated, and these will be just a few of the areas I highlight when recommending this novel to students.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Hillman Grad Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was assigned as part of my Native American book club. waˀkatsanu·ní· to read it as I am Oneida, turtle clan, of the Iroquois Nation same as the author. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Abe and his alter ego Dominick lack substance as characters. At best, Abe is a puppet whose biggest accomplishment is selling himself short in a toxic relationship while praising the amount of sex he was able to garner over the years. Dominick’s narrative gave little to support any storyline; all of which were weak with the exception of uncle Budge, who this story could have been about and actually made a decent story. There were some meaningful moments but not enough to make reading this book enjoyable.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book. It tells about a Mohawk returning home to upstate New York for a healing after many years away from the rez. The main character, Abe, is a bit of a mess. His alter ego, Dominica Deer Woods is a bit more stable. His Uncle Budge is an unforgettable source of wisdom.

I have not read a lot of fiction and even less of this type. It is the debut book by the author. I highly recommend it. I look forward to more books by this author.

[Shriya Uday · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like a lot of books in this area fall into the trap of 'look at these themes about society I'm exploring with my characters ' but this book is more 'look at my guy, he resonates with these bigger themes about identity, colonialism, art, love, etc'.

Needless to say it was a very good read that did not feel the need for simple resolutions.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. How is this a debut novel?!? Not only is the book itself excellent, but the poetry written by the main character’s alter-ego is also excellent (think AS Byatt’s Possession where she wrote the text of the book, the letters between two poets, and the poetry of those poets). Also, special bonus I’m sure the author included only for me, there are references mid-novel to poets that I love. (One of the poems STARTS with “Hanif Abdurraqhib told me…” HELLO.)

There’s interesting characters and histories and side plots and omg what sound like amazing dishes (the cooking scenes are excellent), hot s*x, an everchanging web of relationships, intriguing bits of Native culture (I hope the author got psychic whisps of me practicing the correct pronunciation of Tóta every time it occurred!!).

The cultural commentary is so biting and done so well—both in the prose and in the poetry.

I loved it, I loved it, I loved it. The last scene with Uncle Budge? The ending? OMG!!!

A funny moment:
“What’s genocide, after all, but a vehicle for Jeremy Renner to Learn Something Profound.” (Taylor Sheridan and Renner really ruined Wind River with their dumb ass comments. It was such a good movie. They should have kept their mouths shut.)

A deep moment (responses omitted):
“Have you loved?”
“Have you been loved?”
“Then your life ain’t garbage.”

[Rina B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this ARC. All views and opinions are my own.

“Old School Indian” is a fascinating story of a Native American man who returns to his hometown while dealing with a seemingly incurable disease, and pondering his life choices, his identity and his career and relationships.

I really like the way the author wrote Abe as a main character, including his internal thoughts that one can’t help but root for his happiness and healing, even if he is flawed and sometimes makes choices that are self-sabotaging. I also enjoyed the slightly humorous, “tongue-in-cheek” and satirical references to Native American stereotypes in a way that helps educate the reader and take a jab at colonialism without sounding like a heavy-handed lecture.

What made the story also really interesting were the supporting characters in Abe’s family. I think it would have been easier to keep track of how everyone is related to each other if the author could include a family tree in one of the pages, but that’s just a minor suggestion on my part.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I hope the author can share more stories using his trademark wit and candor.

[Brent Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is described as a coming of middle age tale. A forty-something year old man gets a terminal diagnosis and has to go back to the reservation where he grew up to seek traditional healing from his uncle.

I loved this book so much. It made me cry in one place, which is pretty uncommon for me. I don’t know how to do this book justice in describing it. There is a moving story that is immediately accessible and entertaining. It’s more than that though. The main character has an alter ego who serves as our narrator and breaks the fourth wall regularly giving me (as a non native reader) so much invaluable context that it takes this story to a whole other level. In the end, I loved the characters and the narrator loved me. The narrator goes from challenging us to check our privilege to welcoming us into the family.

If you enjoy native literature, this is a must read.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book knocked my socks off. I read the first two pages three times in a row because the writing was sizzling, seething, hilarious, and full of pain. And Aaron John Curtis keeps rolling, pushing and pulling at you the rest of the book.

Dominick Deer Woods keeps you on your toes, too. And so do Abe, his Uncle Budge, cuzzins, and everyone else you meet in this book. Alex included, although I hated her from the beginning. Curtis has found a way to embed the people of Abe’s world into the page from the smell of their hair to a wrinkle by the eye to the way an old concert that is worn.

But, yeah, back to Dominick. His poems appear every few chapters or so and rip your danged heart out.

So, read this book that is about so much more than coming-of-middle-age. You don’t have to be the same age as Abe (which I am) to appreciate it.

[Lubna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good debut novel about an Indigenous (Mohawk) man in his early 40s who discovers he has a serious illness and an existential crisis/ reckoning with his past that occurs as a result, realizing how much time he wasted and his self-defeating beliefs. Abe is a very relatable character; he starts out with big dreams, but he doesn’t have the confidence to pursue them or feel that he can take up space or assert himself, a side effect of being colonized, inheriting generational trauma, and experiencing racism. The plot is straightforward, but beautifully written and interwoven with gorgeous poetry and it’s quite heartbreaking in some areas. I really enjoyed reading this one. I highly recommend it.

[Jessica K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning debut, this book goes where no other book by a Native author I’ve read before has gone - it calls out the system in a more honest way, breaking the third wall and forcing readers to be introspective; it makes Native culture accessible and personal instead of simply providing a window to look through; it’s funny, it’s smart, it’s poignant, it plays with form and structure. Worth reading for a multitude of reasons: those were just a few.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful debut novel about a Mohawk man's struggles with chronic pain and an undiagnosed autoimmune disease. This book has amazing disability rep and I really appreciated reading about the challenges of getting medical help from an American Indigenous perspective. Great on audio and definitely one I'll be thinking about all year. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ealry digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - This was nicely written, with wry humor throughout, about the “Native American” diaspora. I’ve read a lot on this topic, but although always heartbreaking, this one was told with a positive vibe while having a strong sense of place and a history we should all remember. This was a fast read, mostly enjoyable, great characters, but got old after a while for me. Stretching to a 4.

[Briana Gagnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be in your radar. This is a voice I look forward to reading in the future. While my arc’s format was very wonky on my kindle, I could grasp just have amazing this book is. The mix of poetry with prose. Witty, sharp commentary. Well done.

[Christopher Berry · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 221. I know that I was pretty close to finishing this, but I just could not continue with it. I felt like the narrative just went on and on and on with very little payoff. The vignettes in between chapters really added nothing to the story, and I found this to be a chore to read.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book about healing and what it takes to be present in the time we have

[Cranky Commentary (Melinda) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I loved the premise, hoping that this story would let me learn about Native American culture. That wasn’t the case. The reader was informed, (or reminded) about the shitty treatment of Native Americans in this country. I already know this, so this book was like I was rereading much of this info. There wasn’t much plot, this was character driven, but the characters didn’t interest me. The time jumping got annoying to me as well. I’m “throwing in the towel”. This book just wasn’t for me.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m of two minds with this book. On the one hand, Curtis is a first-rate poet. Among the best included here is “Akhtsí:’a (My Big Sister)” with its recurring “remember when …” cadence. More about that later.
On the other hand, this book reminds me once again why I so seldom read recently published novels, most of which seem to be aimed at thirty-somethings whose lives revolve around sex, to the exclusion of almost every other aspect of daily living. I don’t consider myself a prude, but a constant parade of bed-hopping quickly becomes boring and pointless, and emphatically not the slightest bit erotic. There were many elements of a good story buried here, and both Abe and Alex had the potential to be developed into more interesting characters; but all of that kept getting sidetracked by the two of them, often accompanied by several other participants, attempting to set some kind of record for the greatest variety and frequency. I suppose this sort of thing helps to sell books in today’s jaded world. Thankfully, by intruding in the guise of “Dominick Deer Woods” the author helped to save this from drifting into a tawdry soap opera.
But the poetry is another matter altogether. Each of the fifteen or so poems interleaved between scenes instantly brought the thing back on track, simultaneously adorning Curtis’s prose and driving home his other message: aboriginal peoples’ simmering rage at three centuries of physical and cultural genocide at the hands of European invaders. There are starkly memorable lines I could quote from any of the poems, including such gems as:
”White men are the only group of people
whose self-esteem rises when they watch TV.
Women
and men of other ethnicities
feed their self-hatred
to varying degrees.
I tried telling a white writer being clever
his ironic reappropriation
is a bulwark not a bombshell.”
He’s angry, of course. But, never morose. In “How to Flirt with Death” he concludes with:
”When the time comes, spit in his eye to make Death
blink first.”
So, I’m conflicted: 5 stars for the poetry, 2 for the rest of the novel.

[Stephanie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is a little out of the norm for me. Although it’s a 3 for me, I think many others would find it as a 4.
The writing is great. The use of the main character’s alter ego as the narrator was fun.

I liked all of the explanations of what American Indians deal with: historical trauma, why a tribal ID is ridiculous, missing and murdered indigenous women, and the issue with how they’re portrayed in Hollywood. Plenty of it and more should be common knowledge.

[Susanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly one of my favorite books this year, this novel upholds my belief that contemporary Native artists in a variety of disciplines are doing the most provocative and thoughtful work out there — although frankly, they always have been. I loved how this book fits within the canon of Native literature, with its trickster humor, connection with the spirit world (often slyly, and again, trickster), yet also is absolutely contemporary. I thrilled at the name-dropping of contemporary artists I too admire, from Kent Monkman to Hanif Abdurraqib, and the gauzy yet earthy figures of Uncle Budge and Dominick Deerwoods. I am not Native but grew up thinking (being told) I was, and this book brought to life the characters and people I knew in Native communities, in all their lively, snarky, and sometimes fucked-up glory, not to mention the generational damage due to colonialism and the scars that have grown around those encounters. I listened to the audiobook, which is well done, but I may need to buy a hard copy so I can see it in hand.

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abe returns to the rez due to an incurable autoimmune disease. He needs family and friends to help him navigate this awful disease. The book has many parts, and each is very eye-opening, sometimes hard to digest but over all one that we can all connect with.

As a Mexican raised on Los Angeles and then coming back to Mexico, this book really resonated with me. The similarities in our practices, our elders, how we cope with death, not being American or Mexican enough and all those experiences that we encounter with racism in all it's forms is was what made me enjoy this book so much,even the hard parts.

Sometimes, leaving and coming back home isn't always easy.

Thank you, Netgalley and Zando/ Hillman Grad Books for my arc.

[Mike S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐, (apparently) a bit autobiography, a bit magical realism, a lot of humor, a lot of grief, a lot of the human condition and experience, moments that will crack you up or crack you open. This book is a beautiful reminder that so long as you're living, it's not too late to pursue your creativity, to make what you want to make, to put yourself into the world. I loved this book and look forward to Aaron John Curtis writing more.

[Shelby Harder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The structure jumps around in time, which sometimes feels disjointed, but it also mirrors the nonlinear path of healing and self-understanding. It’s a bold, heartfelt debut that lingers long after you close the book.

One small scene stuck with me: when they discuss the colour of a clam and say, “it’s what it means to you.” That line captures the whole book; identity, belonging, and the personal meaning we make of life. The timeline jumps around, but like healing itself, it feels true.

[Shelley Martel · Rating 4 out of 5]

heavy subjects and fresh perspectives

I was pulled in by the current timeline parts of this book. I understand why we needed to past timeline to get into Abe’s mindset of life before and how he became who he is, but like many other readers I felt too much time was spent here with graphic sexual details. I enjoyed our time with Uncle Budge much more.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, well written book about Abe, a member of the Mohawk tribe. We first meet him in junior high. The story is interspersed with poetry written by Abe and his alter ego. I tend to skim poetry which may be why I’m not a bigger fan of the book. The adult Abe has contracted a rare and fatal disease. He returns home which is his source of strength to the healing of his great uncle. Abe clearly doesn’t like himself which is evident in his relationship with his wife Alex. The healing sections with his Uncle Budge are fascinating and I loved them as well as the family scenes with his extended family. I liked the book but can’t give it a glowing recommendation. 3.5*

There’s both violence and graphic sex in the book.