This unusual tale for young adults shows the difficulties,
choices and identities involved in being a half-Navaho girl
in the modern world. Tess has just started the hardest
school year - her first year off the reservation - and she
means to work hard to get a college scholarship, through
running as well as school work. SOLDIER SISTER FLY HOME as
the title implies, shows that Tess has an older sister
Gaby, who injured her ankle and couldn't continue her
running scholarship course. She joined the Army instead.
We don't hear much about people from minority cultures who
make the same brave choices we support in the general
population. For Gaby, this makes perfect sense. She'll
serve and come out with a veteran's benefits, get a medical
degree. The only problem is that her big blue-grey stallion
Blue will be left without exercise. Tess is reluctant to
ride him, he's so big and powerful, and Gaby hurt her ankle
coming off him in a barrel race. But after the Blessing
Ceremony which it's hoped will protect Gaby far away, Tess
knows she has to take care of her sister's horse.
We see the sheep camp in a canyon as Tess goes to help her
grandmother. We also see the sale of a fine rug at the
trading post, and Tess gets a big surprise in the internet
café. While the story is not long it is rich with small
details and living culture. Tess has a white father who
works on computers, and her mother also works, so the girl
learns the traditions from her grandmother. But Tess is
puzzled about who she really is, about how she can know if
she is Navaho, white, or something in between.
Be prepared for some strong scenes and lessons as the cycle
of life continues. I was entranced and could smell the
horse sweat, pine needles, sheep fleece and damp desert
after rain. The horse scenes are well written and can be
very moving. Author Nancy Bo Flood has worked and taught on
a reservation for fifteen years and she thanks elders and
educators for helping her get the details correct. She
tells us about Lori Piestewa of the Hopi Nation, who became
the first Native American woman to die in combat on foreign
soil while serving in the military. Bravery is all around
us. SOLDIER SISTER FLY HOME has a beautiful cover
illustration and inside drawing by Shonto Begay.
Recommended for mature young adults, with discussion topics
at the end.
A tender and gripping novel about family, identity, and
loss.
Thirteen-year-old Tess is having a hard
enough time understanding what it means to be part white and
part Navajo, but now she's coping with her sister Gaby's
announcement that she's going to enlist and fight in the
Iraq war. Gaby's decision comes just weeks after the news
that Lori Piestewa, a member of their community, is the
first Native American woman in US history to die in combat,
adding to Tess's stress and emotions. While Gaby is away,
Tess reluctantly cares for her sister's semi-wild stallion,
Blue, who will teach Tess how to deal with tragic loss and
guide her own journey of self-discovery.
Lori
Piestewa was a real-life soldier who was killed in Iraq and
was a member of the Hopi tribe. Back matter includes further
information about Piestewa as well as a note by author Nancy
Bo Flood detailing her experiences living on the Navajo
reservation. A pronunciation guide to all Navajo vocabulary
used within the text is also included.
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