The Way It Is by Donalda Reid

Title: The Way It Is

Author: Donalda Reid

Publication: Second Story Press (2010)

ISBN 9781897187807

Format: Paperback ($11.95) 264 pages

Acquired: I won this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It's the 1960s--the time for

equal rights, peace, and love.

But for Ellen Manery, it's the time to work hard and finish high school early. She'd rather be helping out at the university's medical lav than listening to rock and roll and hanging out with the kids at her high school. Isolated and driven, Ellen feels like she was born an outsider.

What if you live in a small town,

where change is slow in coming?

Tony Paul knows what it's like to be on the outside. Living on an Indian reserve near a small town, he goes to the local high school, but his heritage and the color of his skin stand him apart. Ellen and Tony meet when Ellen's parents decide to leave city life behind and move to the town. Right away, they are drawn to each other's difference. Used to being on their own in high school, together they find a happiness and strength that allow them to face the sexism and prejudice around them.

But can Ellen and Tony be more than friends? Are they right to think that a girl can study science and become a doctor, and that and Indian boy can go to college? Together they'll find out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I admit much too many things. So I am just going to tell you how I saw it. From reading the summary I thought that the story would have a lot more romance in it. That and it would show more sexism toward Ellen. On the racism front the only person who was really prejudice against Tony was Tony. There was some toward Indians in general but most of the time it was him telling Ellen that him being excluded was just the way it was. The majority of the book is about Ellen going to school and trying to make friends with Tony.

In the absence of any favorite or unfavored characters I will tell about the main characters. Ellen is a recluse who keeps to herself because it never comes to mind for her to try to make friends with anyone. Tony is a local Indian boy. Am I supposed to say Native American? Does that term apply to them if they are from Canada or are they Native Canadians? Anyway to me the only person who is keeping Tony back is himself. He is always stopping himself from doing things. Also the prejudice did not really have a time in which you really realized that it was real. There was not epiphany moment for me that made the violence real to me. The writing was slightly simplistic and I wish that some points were more emphasized then they were. Like Ellen's epiphany that she pushed people away from her.

There were good points though. I liked the book overall. It was interesting.