Code Talker, by Joseph Bruchac

I must admit, history was never my favorite subject. Having to memorize and regurgitate a lot of facts, dates and so forth without understanding the why of it all never seemed a worthwhile use of time. That is why this book was such a pleasant surprise--it was not only completely readable--I finished it in only a couple of days--but the way it was presented, left me wanting more.

It began with a Navajo grandfather telling the story of his medal to an undisclosed number of grandchildren. He began with cultural references, and told of his early life growing up on the reservation and having to go to the white "belagaanaa" school to learn white man's ways and language. Ironically, Navajo children were taught in this school that their native language was no good, and were not allowed to speak it.

When WWII broke out, however, and the young man came of age to join the military, the Navajo language became the one unbreakable code used to transmit vital battle information between the various generals and the fighting men in the Pacific theatre. Only a select few Navajos were recruited for the Code Talkers, but many more Native Americans joined the military, to defend their--and our--homeland from something even worse than the white invasion that stole an entire continent from them only a hundred or so years before.

I totally recommend this book to anyone with even a passing interest in World War II history, or in the Navajo or native American cultures.

Walk in beauty, my friends.

Reviewed by a staff member, First Regional Library

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