Breaking the Code: A Father's Secret, a Daughter's Journey, and the Question That Changed Everything [Paperback]

Karen Fisher-Alaniz (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 1, 2011

Our parents are our most unexplored mystery.

Whether close or distant to us, we see them as "parent," rarely knowing or thinking about the person that they are outside that role. So few of us get to discover that person inside, even if it may be just a question away.

Like many, Karen grew up with a father who was always there and yet always absent. As a little girl and then an adult, she talked to him, but they never really had a conversation. He'd told her stories of his childhood and of his time in the Navy, but she'd barely listened.

But on his 81st birthday, without explanation, her father placed two weathered notebooks on her lap, with more than 400 pages of letters he'd written to his parents during World War II. The more she read, the more she discovered about the man she never knew and the secret role he played in the war.

Thus began an unintended journey – one taken by a father and daughter who thought they knew each other, a journey of healing and discovery that started with a leap of faith.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Debut memoirist Fisher-Alaniz offers a sensitive account of how she helped her war-veteran father confront a traumatic memory he had carried with him for more than 50 years. Commendable for how it breaks the silence surrounding PTSD... a genuine tale told from the heart." - Kirkus

""engaging memoir"" - Publishers Weekly

"Breaking their own code of silence, father and daughter reach across the decades, recording an important chapter in history and forging a long-overdue personal bond." - Booklist

"I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about family and relationships, people interested in World War II history, those wanting to know more about PTSD, and readers who enjoy mysteries." - A Writer's Words, An Editor's Eye

"This was a very heart warming and heart wrenching book." - Bookpleasures.com

"This reviewer highly recommends this book for all readers. Those with a family member in the armed services will appreciate the homage this book pays to our military. Those who don't personally know anyone in the military need to know how hard our military members work, not just during their active duty but for their entire lives." - Bookpleasures.com

"I highly recommend Breaking the Code to those who want to learn more about the day-to-day life of a soldier serving in the Pacific in World War II, specifically in Honolulu. The letters relate in detail the frustration of the daily grind for a soldier left behind at base, and they stand in stark contrast to the descriptions her father gives when he eventually opens up about the trauma he suffered when he got close to the battle during his secret missions." - At Home With Books

"a story that left me covered with goosebumps time and again and eventually moved me to tears." - JAJance.com

"Fisher-Alaniz, a Walla Walla author, writes the true story of how her relationship with her 81-year-old father changed after he gave her two weathered notebooks containing more than 400 pages of letters he'd written to his parents during World War II, letters that revealed the pivotal role he played in breaking a top-secret Japanese code." - The Seattle Times

"a deeply touching journey of a father and daughter. If you know someone who has been through a war – WWII, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc. – this will definitely hit close to home." - Reading Good Books

"This lovely book decodes two mysteries-that of a father's place in WWII as a code 'writer,' and that of a father and daughter relationship that is mired in secrecy. The breaking of the second 'mystery"'is just as fascinating as the breaking of the first. Karen Alaniz does a masterful job of recording this story for herself, her children, her father - and us!" - Judith Schiess Avila, co-author of Code Talker

About the Author

Karen Alaniz is an author and writer, who began the journey of writing this memoir when her father handed her a collection of letters on his 81st birthday. She lives in Walla Walla, WA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402261128
• ISBN-13: 978-1402261121
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #800,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hello, and welcome to my page! I'm so glad you're here. I was born and raised in Washington state (the real Washington). I taught special education for 14-years before embarking on a new path. I've been writing for fun since first grade. But I never considered writing a book until my father began to tell me his story. Writing, Breaking the Code was a very long process. Initially, I was simply going to transcribe the (WWII) letters he gave me. But the more I read, the more questions I had. My dad and I started having breakfast together every Wednesday so I could ask questions. What emerged, slowly, haltingly, was a life-story I could never have imagined.

Update: My father and I are overwhelmed with the support our readers have offered. Things have happened so fast, it seems. Dad joins me when he is able, to sign books at bookstores and other events. I swear he never tires of it. We were even interviewed by NPR's, Audie Cornish, which you can listen to on the NPR.com website by finding, Weekend Edition, Sunday, on 11/6/11. We look forward to meeting you at a signing or on the web some time. A huge thanks to our readers! ~Karen

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Much More than a Memoir October 26, 2011

By Lillian Ammann (Lillie)

Format:Paperback

The cover of the book calls it a memoir, but it is much more than that.

It is a story about relationships--the relationship of a father and daughter, the relationships of a man at war and his far-away family, the relationship of two sailors who knew little about each other but who were tied by a bond stronger than time.

The book is also a revealing picture of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a relentless and unpredictable enemy of warriors in conflicts past and present. The disorder may show itself immediately after a traumatic event, or it may stay hidden for fifty years, as it did in the case of Karen's father, Murray Fisher.

Although not written as history, Breaking the Code puts the reader in World War II from a perspective that most of today's generation have never experienced.

The story reads like a novel as the author tries to unravel the mystery of her father's past and the secrets he has kept for half a century.

Breaking the Code is a quick and easy read, but the author's dedication to helping her father, her father's service to his country, and her mother's love and faith will touch readers' hearts

I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about family and relationships, people interested in World War II history, those wanting to know more about PTSD, and readers who enjoy mysteries.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A heartfelt tribute to a parent that served in World War II November 2, 2011

By M. Lignor

Format:Paperback

This is a beautiful narrative and tribute to a parent that served in World War II, told by his daughter, who, at first, couldn't quite understand her Dad when he told his war stories. As is said in the book, when she was younger she didn't understand her parent and would not be able to discover why these stories of his time serving in the Navy would come up and why he would be despondent and not want to talk at all.

On his 81st birthday, the author's father gave her two old notebooks that were filled with letters that he had written to his parents when he was stationed in the Pacific during WWII. When she read them she began to realize that, although her father was always there for her and talked to her, they never really had a real conversation. He told her and her sister about his time in the Navy and the girls never really paid attention. When she started reading them, she realized that her father was a very complicated man that she never really knew. The author and her Dad met for lunch every week so she could ask him about some of the passages in the letters that she didn't understand. When this happened, she learned that he had been part of a small group of men who were being trained to break a top-secret code of the Japanese. Her grandparents thought that he had spent the war in Hawaii but, in reality, he had traveled with a group of men throughout the Paciific watched by FBI agents and ended up on Iwo Jima. In a small excerpt from the book, she states: I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Such a simple question, (Is there anyone that you hung out with or became friends with on the base? had led my father to share this new revelation. I dared not ask another question for fear that I'd break the spell and never know what secrets he harbored.

The author's father and five other men had been sent to code-breaking school and were informed that from this moment on everything that they did was top secret. They couldn't reveal their job to their tent mates or anyone else, including family. They would be watched at all times and their mail would be censored. They were not to talk about anything in letters home. Even a hint of what they were doing would be reason for a court martial. The author and her Dad went on this painful journey together and she helped him to remember the things that had happened. Sadly, this brave sailor had been suffering from PTSD. This was before anyone really understood what this can do to people).

This was a very heart warming and heart wrenching book as the author tried to help her Dad to remember the things that he accomplished in the Navy, even to the point of sending for his service records, which told some things but not all. A book that tells the story of a father and daughter relationship that will live in their hearts for all time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful story of of a daughter's quest to transcribe WWII letters written by her father November 2, 2011

By Kimba88

Format:Paperback

Breaking the Code is a wonderful true story of a daughter's quest to transcribe WWII letters written by her father. What started out as a gift to her children, became a journey of learning, healing, self-discovery, bonding and understanding.
I enjoyed this book immensely. It was told in first person by Karen, the daughter of Murray Fisher. She speaks in a no-nonsense way that keeps you turning the pages. The book contains Murray's letters, postcards, photos, and some official documents. For war and history buffs, this is a rare look into the daily life of a Navy solider during the war.
I found the places, activities and Fisher's job(s) during the war to be very interesting. Karen Fisher-Alaniz offers us a rare glimpse into a very special, humble man and his struggle to deal with the memories. Breaking the Code was an emotional journey, and I found myself laughing and crying. I recommend this to all.
This would make the perfect holiday gift for anyone on your list.

I want to thank netGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC, in exchange for my unbiased review.