Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer

Anumpa Warrior Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer

The day I betrayed Isaac, I vowed never again to speak my native language in front of white men.

When America enters the Great War in 1917, Bertram Robert Dunn and his Choctaw buddies from Armstrong Academy join the army to protect their homes, their families, and their country. Hoping to find redemption for a horrible lie that betrayed his best friend, B. B. heads into the trenches of France--but what he discovers is a duty only his native tongue can fulfill.

War correspondent Matthew Teller is ready to quit until an encounter with a fellow Choctaw sets him on a path to write the untold story of American Indian doughboys. But entrenched stereotypes and prejudices tear at his burning desire to spread truth.

With the Allies building toward the greatest offensive drive of the war, the American Expeditionary Forces face a superior enemy who intercepts their messages and knows their every move. Can the solution come from a people their own government stripped of culture and language?

"Anumpa Warrior (Language Warrior) is the first novel on the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I. Combining extensive historical research on the code talkers, insights into Choctaw culture, solid character development, and stimulating narrative, Choctaw author Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer has written a gem." --Dr. William C. Meadows, Missouri State University, Code Talker scholar

"As the granddaughter of a WWI Choctaw Code Talker, I was spellbound, speechless, and teary-eyed." --Beth (Frazier) Lawless, granddaughter of Tobias Frazier

"Sarah's eloquent style and words give the story so much life and spirit. I say châpeau, hats off to you!" --Jeffrey Aarnio, former superintendent, American Battle Monuments Commission