Tony Hillerman is one of my mother’s favorite authors. Let’s take a closer look at this man who has become famous for his Navajo mysteries.
Sacred Heart, Oklahoma, is located near a Benedictine mission that served the Citizen Band Potowatomie Tribe. When Tony was born there in 1925, he was one of many farm boys who attended a boarding school for Native American girls, there being no other school nearby. Tony’s books ring with an authenticity hard to duplicate through mere research; this early immersion in the ways of the People explains how he achieved such reality in his writing.
After graduating from high school and spending some time in college, he joined the U.S. Army. This was in 1943, during World War II. He was wounded several times, often quite severely, experiencing facial burns and temporary blindness, broken legs, a broken ankle, and broken foot. He was decorated quite handsomely during his sojourn in the war, receiving the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and the Purple Heart.
When the war ended, he was able to return to college and graduated with a B.A. That same year, he married Marie Unzner, and they have remained married to this day, sharing six children and many happy years together.
Shortly after his marriage, he began a career in journalism, working his way from reporter to city editor for several different newspapers. His list of credentials is quite impressive. But it wasn’t quite enough; the fires of ambition kept climbing higher. There was something more that needed to be done. In 1963, he went to graduate school and received his M.A., joining the faculty afterwards. He served as department chair from 1976 to 1981.
His series of novels is set in the Four Corners area and concentrate on the Navajo people. The main, recurring characters are Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. His first novel was called “The Blessing Way” and was published in 1970, followed by “Dance Hall of the Dead” in 1973. Eighteen books in the series followed, the most recent addition being “The Shape Shifter” in 2006.
Each novel is rich with the traditions and culture of the Navajo people, and the reader will find themselves transported to another place and another way of life as they read. You will learn about the heritage that is enjoyed by the Navajo, their deep rooted faith and spirituality, their connection to nature, their appreciation for natural beauty.
Tony and his wife still reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where his knees bother him a bit from time to time but not enough to keep him from writing. I suspect we’ll see many more great novels from Tony Hillerman in the future.
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