CODE TALKERS by Joseph Bruchac

Bruchac, Joseph. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York: Dial Books, 2005.

ISBN: 0-8037-2921-9

Plot Summary:

This is the riveting story of Navajo Code Talkers who served in World War II.  The story is told from Ned Begay’s point of view as a grandfather explaining to his grandchildren how he joined the Marines at 16 years old and was immediately whisked away to become one of the elite group of Navajos who served the United States during the war. The story is fascinating and is historically accurate and one that was not able to be told for many years after the war was over.  The Code Talkers are a little-known segment of the military whose language was used to send coded messages during the war that could not be intercepted and broken by the enemy.  The Code Talkers were involved in some of the heaviest fighting in World War II and risked life and limb to save American lives.  This is an important story that needs to be told and will hold readers at rapt attention at every turn.     

Critical Analysis:

Joseph Bruchac tells a significant story that is both fascinating and gripping.  Although a fictional tale, Bruchac relays the important role that the Code Talkers played during World War II.  The first person style gives the feeling of interviewing Ned Begay as he tells the story to his grandchildren.  Authentic Native American words and phrases are sprinkled throughout the text as Ned shares some of the Navajo language that was used in the codes.   The harsh reality of the Native American Boarding School experience is painfully told as Ned tells how he was not allowed to speak Navajo at the school.  Ultimately, though, the Navajo language became a saving grace for the United States during the war and readers will grow to care for Ned Begay and his platoon as the sacrifice that they endured is realized.  This is a story that honors the Navajo culture and language and is a realistic commentary on the horrors of war.   Bruchac includes an “Author’s Note” that tells about the Navajos as a people, the Code Talkers of WWII, and a selected bibliography to read more about the subject.  An excellent book with a riveting story that can finally be told. 

Review Excerpts:

“Bruchac’s gentle prose presents a clear historical picture of young men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima.  Non-sensational and accurate, Bruchac’s tale is quietly inspiring…” ~School Library Journal

“…the succession of scenes, impressions, and remarks build to create a solid, memorable portrayal of Ned Begay… Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find.” ~Booklist (starred review)

Connections:

**Other books about code talkers in WWII:

Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers by Kenji Kawano

Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir by One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez and Judith Schiess Avila

The Comanche Code Talkers of WWII by William C. Meadows

Navajo Code Talker’s Dictionary by United States Marine Corp

**Other books by Joseph Bruchac:

Sacajawea

The Warriors

Wolf Mark