Interpreter and observer, sometimes angry but always humourous, Sherman Alexie displays his mastery of the form in his latest collection of short stories. The theme of "Blasphemy" occurs throughout the book; someone has always committed a sin though often not wittingly. One character, a heavy drinker in need of help to bail out some prized pawned regalia, remains a fundamentally decent person despite a lifetime of errors. Another laments that, once you start seeing your loved one as a criminal, love ceases to exist. As usual, Alexie mainly stages Indians of the Northwest as his protagonists but he includes endless possibilities for misinterpretation among his characters, as when a Spokane encounters three mysterious Aleuts who sing him only permissible songs: “All the others are just for our people.” Longtime readers will find this profound, affecting collection full of both familiar themes and surprises.

Alexie is a master of the short story. These stories are sometimes difficult, sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking...but always amazing. His characters are mainly First Nation, but he writes about us all - trying to make it through, trying to be good people, getting into messes, making bad or good choices, being forgiven, finding redemption. It is hard to pick a favourite but I think mine is the closing story "What You Pawn I Will Redeem".