You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me

memoir by Alexie

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July 21, 2026

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You Don't Have to Say You Love Me is a 2017 memoir by Sherman Alexie. The book explores Alexie's complex and often difficult relationship with his mother. It delves into themes of family, identity, and the challenges of navigating cultural heritage, particularly for American Indians. The memoir received critical acclaim, winning the American Library Association's Carnegie Medal for nonfiction in 2018. Alexie is a celebrated author known for his poetry, short stories, novels, and films that often focus on the lives of American Indians.12

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Sherman Alexie
Literary career
…2017 Alexie released the memoir You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, which chronicles his complicated relationship with his mother. The book was well received, and in February 2018 it was named the winner of the American Library Association’s Carnegie Medal for nonfiction. Shortly thereafter, however, several women made…
Read More
…2017 Alexie released the memoir You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, which chronicles his complicated relationship with his mother. The book was well received, and in February 2018 it was named the winner of the American Library Association’s Carnegie Medal for nonfiction. Shortly thereafter, however, several women made…
Read More