Rain is Not My Indian Name

It’s been six months since Cassidy Rain Berghoff’s best friend, Galen, died, and up until now she has succeeded in shutting herself off from the world. But when controversy arises around Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp in their mostly white midwestern community, Rain decides to face the outside world again, and takes a job photographing the campers for her town’s newspaper. 

Soon, Rain has to decide how involved she wants to become in Indian Camp. Does she want to keep a professional distance from her fellow Native teens? Or, though she is still grieving, will she embrace new friends and new beginnings? 

Rain is Not My Indian Name focuses on Cassidy, a 14-year-old girl who has closed herself off to the world after her best friend, Galen, dies. In addition to Galen’s death, Cassidy is dealing with a friendship breakup, her brother’s girlfriend’s unexpected pregnancy, as well as trying to connect to her indigenous heritage. Readers will connect with Cassidy, who is dealing with many messy life situations. While Cassidy is dealing with a lot of heavy topics, her voice is heartfelt and authentic. Like many teens, Cassidy is struggling to understand her conflicting emotions, which do not always have easy answers. 

Each chapter begins with an excerpt from Cassidy’s journal that helps readers understand how past events continue to affect Cassidy’s daily life. The journal excerpts allow readers a glimpse into Cassidy and Galen’s friendship. Cassidy’s experiences examine small-town politics and the town’s prejudices. The large cast of characters allows the book to explore different types of prejudices. However, none of the supporting characters are well-developed and some readers may have difficulty remembering how everyone connects.  

Cassidy uses a conversational tone to tell her story. Even though she is dealing with heavy issues, she is never whiny or melodramatic. Cassidy’s experiences establish the importance of connecting with the community and accepting yourself and others. Cassidy’s problems are resolved, and her personal growth allows her to reconnect with her Indigenous community. Teens will connect with Cassidy, and come away learning the importance of surrounding themselves with a caring support group.  

Sexual Content  

• A girl who works at the grocery store has a bad reputation and is known as “the Lorelei Express.”  
• When Rain was younger, she asked her brother, Flynn, “why he’d been carrying the same condom in his wallet for six years.” Her brother said he kept it for “emergencies.”  
• Flynn’s girlfriend lives with him and Rain. She moved in after the fourth date. 
• After Galen dies, Rain discovers that there was a rumor that Galen and she were “fooling around. . . like making out, mashing, tonsil hockey, swapping spit.” 
• The night Galen died, he kissed Rain. “It was only one kiss. It wasn’t a deep kiss, a French kiss, the kind of kiss that redefines a teen life.”

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• Flash, a reporter who works with Rain, carries a flask of tequila in his coat pocket. Flash allows Rain to sniff the flask and “the smell of tequila burned the back of [her] throat.”  
• Rain sees Flash’s flask on his desk. 
• Rain “finished a half-empty beer Uncle Ed had left on my porch. . . Grampa grounded me for a month.” The beer made Rain throw up. 
• Rain’s uncle sold his gold tooth for beer money. 
• At dinner, Flynn drinks a bottle of Coors.

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None

Spiritual Content  

• Rain’s brother and his fiancée plan to be married at the First Baptist Church. However, the bride’s mother wants them to get married at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. 
• The book mentions that some of the characters attend church. For example, Rain was the only “Indian” who “prayed at the First Baptist Church.” 
• After Rain finds out that her brother’s girlfriend, Natalie, is pregnant, Rain prays, “Dear God, please take care of Natalie. Thank you and amen.” Rain thinks, “I hoped all of the times I’d skipped church wouldn’t count against me.” 
• After Natalie has to go to the hospital, Flynn says he will “pray for the best.” 
• When Rain thinks about Galen, she recites a Bible verse. “‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ –Psalms 30:5.”