Her Again Book Club: Whiskey Tender

About the Event

Her Again Book Club invites you to an exclusive virtual gathering to discuss Deborah Jackson Taffa’s “Whiskey Tender,” a memoir about growing up as a Native American in the 1970s and ’80s and searching for belonging and a sense of self.

When: 5:30 p.m. MST, Tuesday, May 14
Where: Virtual (on Zoom, details will be sent 24-48 hours before the event)

About “Whiskey Tender”

Deborah Jackson Taffa was raised to believe that some sacrifices were necessary to achieve a better life. Her grandparents—citizens of the Quechan Nation and Laguna Pueblo tribe—were sent to Indian boarding schools run by white missionaries, while her parents were encouraged to take part in governmental job training off the reservation. Assimilation meant relocation, but as Taffa matured into adulthood, she began to question the promise handed down by her elders and by American society: that if she gave up her culture, her land, and her traditions, she would not only be accepted, but would be able to achieve the “American Dream.”

“Whiskey Tender” traces how a mixed tribe native girl—born on the California Yuma reservation and raised in Navajo territory in New Mexico—comes to her own interpretation of identity, despite her parent’s desires for her to transcend the class and “Indian” status of her birth through education, and despite the Quechan tribe’s particular traditions and beliefs regarding oral and recorded histories. Taffa’s childhood memories unspool into meditations on tribal identity, the rampant criminalization of Native men, governmental assimilation policies, the Red Power movement, and the negotiation between belonging and resisting systemic oppression. Pan-Indian, as well as specific tribal histories and myths, blend with stories of a 1970s and 1980s childhood spent on and off the reservation.

Taffa offers a sharp and thought-provoking historical analysis laced with humor and heart. As she reflects on her past and present—the promise of assimilation and the many betrayals her family has suffered, both personal and historical; trauma passed down through generations—she reminds us of how the cultural narratives of her ancestors have been excluded from the central mythologies and structures of the “melting pot” of America, revealing all that is sacrificed for the promise of acceptance.

Why You’ll Love This Book Club

Her Again events are 100% welcoming. If you’re over 40 and seeking an authentic community where you can dig into fascinating stories, look no further. Whether you’re a veteran of virtual gatherings or this is your maiden voyage, you’ll find yourself amongst friends.