Waiting in line to order coffee, I pulled out my copy of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and began reading. After someone commented on how good the book was as they walked by, the woman behind me expressed that she couldn’t help herself and had to know what I was reading; she was a 3rd-grade teacher on her Spring Break and figured she could take some time to read.

She wore a Frida Khalo face mask and dark retro sunglasses, dark enough I could not really see her eyes. She was reserved but curious. I told her the story about how I found the book and explained why I Iiked Alexie so much. She listened and was not as talkative but later shared that her daughter is half-native American and has relatives on the Soboba Indian Reservation she visits ever so often.

The line moved forward, we moved forward, the conversation slowly progressed. Awkward silences took place, and I just keep sharing what I knew. I recommended two other books for her to check out—Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. This is actually the second time this week that I recommend these books to someone given our conversation.

Before we arrived at the check-out counter, she pointed out how many people seem to be unaware of our land’s history and the struggles on Indian reservations. Standing there listening, I saw her potential influence and hoped that by being a teacher she could help change that.