My Name Is Not Easy

By Debby Dahl Edwardson

A young boy navigates a new boarding school and struggles to maintain his cultural identity.

3.6/5 Goodreads · 2,150 ratings

256 pages· 56,451 words· Est. 6.5 hour read

$9.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

Luke and his brothers leave their Arctic village for Sacred Heart School, where speaking Iñupiaq is forbidden. Amidst cultural clashes and strict rules, Luke, Amiq, Chickie, and Junior navigate a world where their identities are challenged. As they form unexpected bonds, their stories intertwine, promising to change Sacred Heart—and themselves—forever. Can they find a sense of belonging in a place that demands they forget who they are?

From the publisher

Luke knows his I´nupiaq name is full of sounds white people can’t say. He knows he’ll have to leave it behind when he and his brothers are sent to boarding school hundreds of miles from their Arctic village. At Sacred Heart School things are different. Instead of family, there are students–Eskimo, Indian, White–who line up on different sides of the cafeteria like there’s some kind of war going on. And instead of comforting words like tutu and maktak, there’s English. Speaking I´nupiaq–or any native language–is forbidden. And Father Mullen, whose fury is like a force of nature, is ready to slap down those who disobey. Luke struggles to survive at Sacred Heart. But he’s not the only one. There’s smart-aleck Amiq, a daring leader–if he doesn’t self destruct; Chickie, blond and freckled, a different kind of outsider; and small quiet Junior, noticing everything and writing it all down. Each has their own story to tell. But once their separate stories come together, things at Sacred Heart School–and in the wider world–will never be the same.