barbarajean 's review for:

Code Talker by Judith Schiess Avila, Chester Nez

3.0

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I’m torn on this one, because it’s such a fascinating topic and an important story to be told, but the writing felt so flat. It’s an “as told to” book, mostly a straightforward summary retelling of events, with a few sections where it seems the writer felt more info would be helpful, so she did some research and then shoehorned it in at the applicable spot in Chester’s narrative. With memoir or autobiography, I like to have more reflection on the meaning of the events being related, something beyond just “this is what happened.” That’s what was missing from this—and while I’m glad I read it, because it’s a fascinating piece of history, I wish it had been handled by a more skilled writer who could have shaped Chester’s story a bit more thoughtfully and reflectively.