The Removed: A Novel

The Removed is a story about a Native American family that experiences tragedy after son Ray-Ray is shot and killed by a police officer at the local mall. The chapters alternate between mother Maria, sister Sonja, and brother Edgar, and it is threaded throughout with stories from the spirit world. As each family member deals with Ray-Ray’s death in their own way, Sonja by being promiscuous and Edgar by turning to drugs, they find themselves coming upon the anniversary of his passing. Every year they have a bonfire to remember Ray-Ray and talk about him.

This book is beautifully written and embraces the sad, the happy, and the unsure feelings each family member has as the bonfire date approaches. The father of the family, Ernest, has Alzheimer’s, which I felt was such a sad part of the story since it seems as if Ray-Ray’s death may have triggered it in his brain prematurely. There is a part in the book in which Ernest becomes so happy that he seems like he is himself again. He remembers things that are from long ago. I felt like the parts of the books that tried to combine the present with the spirit world were a bit confusing at times. I would have liked a bit more explanation as to who was who and the relevance of these stories to the family. Overall, this book was very heartwarming due to its characters and imagery.