BECOMING STORY

A Coast Miwok leader narrates his life through essays focusing on his connection to the natural world and his ancestors.

Now in his 15th term as chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Sarris divides the book into four sections: "Seasons," "Places," "Trees," and "Ancestors." The author writes about how he was adopted and didn’t know his true heritage until his late 20s, explores significant moments in his childhood and teen years, and reminisces about Sonoma County, where he grew up and still lives. Moving through time, Sarris often breaks from the narrative to give further personal context about a certain experience—e.g., “That was so long ago. A million stories ago. Of course, I found out who my father was, and now I can look back and understand things I hadn’t the faintest idea of before”—and most of the essays subtly echo each other. Regarding the progression from winter to spring, Sarris writes, “New growth, blossoms, sedge sprouting on creek banks—when, after winter, it is no longer safe to tell stories, not only because you must pay attention to where you are going, watchful for snakes and such, but because you too are coming out, becoming story.” In a standout piece, the author examines the Hetch Hetchy Valley and his vision of how it could look at certain points in the future if properly cared for—but as he notes, “Nature’s strange dynamism is beyond our control.” Although not a traditional memoir, the stories mostly build on each other to create a coherent portrait of the author and his culture. “History, it’s no less tangible, palpable, than that grandmother under whose care you found yourself,” he writes. “In a kitchen you have known all your life, with its familiar smells and colors, this grandmother sets a plate of warm tortillas on the table with a bowl of chicken soup and says, ‘Eat.’ ”

A fascinating and evocative memoir in essays.