ONE OF TIME’S BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOKS OF ALL TIME • This deeply affecting novel follows a too-young-to-enlist teenager as he becomes a Navajo Code Talker—one of the best kept secret weapons in WWII.
“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
The United States is at war, and sixteen-year-old Ned Begay wants to join the cause—especially when he hears that Navajos are being specifically recruited by the Marine Corps. So he claims he’s old enough to enlist, breezes his way through boot camp, and suddenly finds himself involved in a top-secret task, one that’s exclusively performed by Navajos. He has become a code talker. His experiences in the Pacific—from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima and beyond—will forever change him.
Throughout World War Two, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo Code Talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years. When the war ended, they weren’t able to tell anyone—not even their families—about their true contribution.
But we now know their amazing stories, and Joseph Bruchac brings them to life through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. Code Talker honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve. It honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians and it speaks eloquently about the brutal realities of battle.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Code Talker
Listen, My Grandchildren
1. Sent Away
2. Boarding School
3. To Be Forgotten
4. Progress
5. High School
6. Sneak Attack
7. Navajos Wanted
8. New Recruits
9. The Blessingway
10. Boot Camp
11. Code School
12. Learning the Code
13. Shipping Out to Hawaii
14. The Enemies
15. Field Maneuvers
16. Bombardment
17. First Landing
18. On Bougainville
19. Do You Have a Navajo?
20. The Next Targets
21. Guam
22. Fatigue
23. Pavavu
24. Iwo Jima
25. In Sight of Suribachi
26. The Black Beach
27. Okinawa
28. The Bomb
29. Going Home
Author's Note
Selected Bibliography
Acknowledgments
