Captured Words

by Frances Williams Browin, L.F. Bjorklund (Illustrator)

It can’t be done. At least that’s what everyone but Oquana and her father, Sequoya, think. They won’t let others’ doubts deter them, though, for Sequoya’s dream is too important: the Cherokee people need a written language for communication and so their history and stories won’t be forgotten. The task of capturing words on paper isn’t easy though. Dislike and mistrust plague Oquana and Sequoya every step of the way, but they keep trying, for they may be running out of time. The Cherokee Nation has begun to split up, and a written language may be the key to keeping peace between the two groups.

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abbie: “I’m done with this book, and I rate it one million.” She learned about Sequoya and his work to create a written form of language for his people last year, so it was fun for her to read this book from the perspective of his daughter who helped him.

Her review:
Captured Words by Frances Williams Brown is all about Sequoya and his daughter Oquana trying to find a way to "capture" the language of the Cherokee in writing like the white men. I love how descriptive this book is, but I struggled on the pronunciation of names. If you are looking for an educational book with wonderful messages, then Captured Words is a great choice. I definitely will read it again in a couple of years because of how much I enjoyed reading this book. I think I learned a lot more about Sequoya and his life than I did before I read Captured words. This book is so engaging that I had a hard time putting the book down! Captured Words by Frances Williams Brown is going on my top favorite books.

[Amy Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captured Words by Frances Williams Brown is a nice book. It's about a Cherokee man named Sequoya, and his young daughter Oquana. They both work hard to put the Cherokee language on paper, but everyone mocks them and thinks they're crazy. I really liked that Sequoya and Oquana were really close and stuck together when people made fun of them. Reading this book I learned that Sequoya borrowed letters from English and made them into Cherokee signs. For example, GWY is Tsalagi (the name of their nation). I would recommend this to anyone because it is an important but kind of unknown part of history.

[Bella Hemrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am using The Good and Beautiful curriculum, and it has made me read MANY books, with only one being made somewhat modern (only the release date is modern). In fact, my mom kinda stopped using the book list after finding a word that is VERY insulting nowadays (I'm not gonna say, but it is an insult for people who aren't straight. It wasn't back then though.) Captured Words tells the story of Sequoya and his daughter, Oquana. After seeing the white men having a written language, Sequoya attempts to make one for the Cherokee language with the help of his daughter, despite many people not believing in him. While I wasn't a huge fan of this book, you may be! If you like old books with nature, family, and an inspiring message, this is for you! I honestly felt like the ending was incomplete, though. This book is FAR from the worst from the curriculum. So yeah, why not try it if it sounds cool?

[Everett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captured Words by Frances Williams Browin is about a man named Sequoya, who is trying to write the language of his tribe, the Cherokees, on paper. Sequoya and his family felt very pressured to leave their home in the East, so they journey to a new home in the West, where Sequoya and his daughter, Oquana work together, while others question their work. The author made me feel like I was transported back to the 1800s. I really like Sequoya’s character because he helped me realize that anything’s possible when you set your mind to it. This reminded me of my favorite quote by Jesse Owens. “ We all have dreams, but in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self- discipline, and effort. I highly recommend this book.

[Rebekah Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's was alright but not my fav but not the worst lol

[Kailyn Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not the best book in the world

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter said it was slow and kind of boring. I thought the story was good but it did drag a bit.

[Fluffy Mochi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book it teaches sooo much about the Cherokee Nation and tells the wonderful true story of Sequoya and his daughter writing their Cherokee language on paper.

[Bob Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a kids book so not a real challenge, but the characters are good, plot easily followed. This was written in the mid 1950’s by my great aunt. I just found a copy and since I had never read it, thought I would now. Would be good for a 5-10 year old.