CAPTURED WORDS

by Frances William Brown ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 27, 1954

Sequoya's remarkable feat of inventing the 86 symbols that enabled him to put the Cherokee language into words, is suspensefully told against the background of trial and error, discouragement and mistrust, and the faithful help from his daughter Oquana. As the story opens, Oquana is about 12 and Sequoya, lame from his battle wounds, has been laboring over his symbols for years. Explaining his work to her, he discovers where he has gone wrong and together they evolve a simpler method- of signs for sounds instead of the many conceptual pictures Sequoya has drawn. But the rest of the tribe is suspicious of his work, and when his family makes the long move to a new life in Arkansas, much time and effort is lost before Sequoya and Oquana complete their task and are recognized. Recommended.

Pub Date: Sept. 27, 1954

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Aladdin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1954

Categories: FICTION