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HEALER OF THE WATER MONSTER

Brian Young

Brian Young's powerful debut novel tells of a seemingly ordinary Navajo boy who must save the life of a Water Monster - and comes to realize he's a hero at heart.
When Nathan goes to visit his grandma, Nali, at her mobile summer home on the Navajo reservation, he knows he's in for a pretty uneventful summer, with no electricity or cell service. Still, he loves spending time with Nali and with his uncle Jet, though it's clear when Jet arrives that he brings his problems with him. One night, while lost in the nearby desert, Nathan finds someone extraordinary: a Holy Being from the Navajo Creation Story - a Water Monster - in need of help. Now Nathan must summon all his courage to save his new friend. With the help of other Navajo Holy Beings, Nathan is determined to save the Water Monster, and to support Uncle Jet in healing from his own pain. The Heartdrum imprint centers a wide range of intertribal voices, visions, and stories while welcoming all young readers, with an emphasis on the present and future of Indian Country and on the strength of young Native heroes. In partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Author and filmmaker Brian Young is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. He grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. Brian earned his BA in Film Studies at Yale University and his MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University. Brian currently lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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Published 2021-05-11 by HarperCollins / Heartdrum

Comments

This excellently wrought middle grade debut by Young (who is Diné/Navajo) centers 11-year-old Nathan Todacheenie, a Diné boy who, seeking to escape a vacation with his father and his father's girlfriend, ends up in a world of tradition and magic... Gentle, complex characters and flawed, loving human relationships lend depth to Young's worlds-spanning novel. Read more...

Author Brian Young is a filmmaker who grew up on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. In the cover reveal on WeNeedDiverseBooks, he explains the origins of the Water Monster myth: "...My culture is still recovering from colonization. I hope that while readers may recognize the structures of the hero's journey with urban fantasy elements, they also recognize that my culture isn't something to be taken lightly. I have taken much consideration in how I want to share it." Read more...

The deeply grounded and original perspective of this story brings readers into both the worlds of Navajo blessing songs, rain songs, and traditional healing and everyday family relationships. Hands readers a meaningful new take on family love. Read more...

Young's narrative weaves traditional folklore, language, and mythos with modern emotion to craft a poignant tale of family, friendship, and protecting what you love most.