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| The code talkers were at Iwo Jimo, too. www.freedigitalphotos.net |
I like reading books that tell about different cultures, especially ones that I don't know much about. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two, by Joseph Bruchac is one of those. I've never seen the Nicholas Cage movie, and I hear much more about the Cherokees than any other Native American tribe, so it was all new to me! Bruchac tells the story from the point of view of a WWII veteran and code talker, Ned Begay, who explains to his grandchildren what his war medal means. Starting from when Ned is a little boy to when he serves as a marine in the Pacific to when he is a grandpa, one of the main themes is the importance of preserving culture and language.
Since war and mistreatment of the Navajos are a huge part of the plot, you might think it would be a graphic or depressing book to read, but the bad is balanced with humor, hope and determination. Code Talker is a book worth reading.
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