Breaking Clean by Judy Blunt (review)

BOOK REV IEWS 2 8 3 fo r m o f n u m e r o u s in t e r v ie w s w it h t h e fa m ily a n d fr ie n d s t h a t k n e w N a v a jo O sh le y b e st. U lt im a t e ly , a lo n g w it h h is r e se a r c h in A H istory o f San Ju an Cou n ty (1 9 9 5 ) a n d N av ajo Lan d , N av ajo Cu ltu re (2 0 0 2 ), M c P h e r so n ’s e d it in g o f N a v a jo O sh le y ’s life d e m o n st r a t e s a w e ll- r o u n d e d a p p r o a c h t o r e g io n a l a n d c u lt u r a l h ist o r y t h a t is q u it e im p r e ssiv e . G r o u n d e d in sim p lic it y , T h e Jou rn ey o f N av ajo O sh ley p r o v id e s a u n iq u e a n d n ar r o w lo o k a t a life e n jo y e d , r e m in d in g r e a d e r s t h a t t h r o u g h o u t h isto r y , “ [a] 11 o f t h e se t h in g s t h a t a N a v a jo d o e s a n d p r a y s fo r ar e . . . p a r t o f o n e ’s jo u r n e y t h r o u g h life ,” a n d t h e e x c h a n g e s w it h in c o n t e st e d sp a c e s, t h o u g h fr e q u e n t ly e n d in g in c o n flic t , m a y e n d in h ar m o n y , h u m o r , a n d a so ft h a n d sh a k e as w e ll (5 8 ). B r e a k i n g C l e a n . B y Ju d y B lu n t . N ew York: A lfr e d A . K n o p f, 2 0 0 2 . 3 03 p ages, $2 4- 0 0. R e v i e w e d b y D o u g W e r d e n W e st T e x a s A & M U n iv e r sit y , C a n y o n , T e x a s Break in g C le an ’s t it le a n d t h e fir st c h a p t e r ar e h o o k s, le a d in g th e r e a d e r t o b e lie v e t h a t t h is w ill b e a m e m o ir o f Ju d y B lu n t ’s b r e a k fr o m a n u n sa t isfa c t o r y m a r r ia g e , b u t it ’s n o t . Break in g C le an is a “r e a c h in g b a c k ” a s sh e d e...