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The Thread That Runs So True: A Mountain School Teacher Tells His Story By Jesse Stuart ( Touchstone )
Release Date: 1950-01-01
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List Price: $15.00
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Product Description
First published in 1949, Jesse Stuart's now classic personal account of his twenty years of teaching in the mountain region of Kentucky has enchanted and inspired generations of students and teachers. With eloquence and wit, Stuart traces his twenty-year career in education, which began, when he was only seventeen years old, with teaching grades one through eight in a one-room schoolhouse. Before long Stuart was on a path that made him principal and finally superintendent of city and county schools. The road was not smooth, however, and Stuart faced many challenges, from students who were considerably older -- and bigger -- than he to well-meaning but distrustful parents, uncooperative administrators and, most daunting, his own fear of failure. Through it all, Stuart never lost his abiding faith in the power of education. A graceful ode to what he considered the greatest profession there is, Jesse Stuart's The Thread That Runs So True is timeless proof that "good teaching is forever and the teacher is immortal."
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 A Must Read
I can't understand how anyone wouldn't like this book. Great writer, great story. I have passed this book around more than a few times to teachers I know and they all love it. Most buy a copy for themselves. Any critic can pick at this or that, but this is a good and fun book to read that I recommend to all readers.
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Great teacher and book ( vitaminp632 )
This is an older book but still lively for modern readers. Great book on a great teacher.
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 Wanted to Like It More Than I Did
I really did want to like this book more than I did. I'd actually give it 2 1/2 stars if that was allowed. There were some great stories about Stuart's teaching career, but I couldn't help thinking that in the hands of a more gifted writer this book would have been fantastic. I also thought that some of the conflicts that Mr Stuart describes here were a little too easily, and conveniently solved - to his own advantage, and that left me to wonder if things really happened that way, or if his memory sanitized his own image somewhat. He's not always the hero of his own stories, but he frequently was. He also lost my interest a few times when he went into more detail than was necessary about the running of the school system. I'd definitely recommend it to all those people who have a continued nostalgia for the good old days. In Mr Stuart's world violence seems to be tolerated a lot more than it is today, and sometimes even initiated by adults - the very people in charge of the system. I'm glad I read it, and I would recommend it to others but I would also have to qualify my recommendation.
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Teaching in "The Good-Old Days"
Twenty-two years ago (in 1986) I was a freshman in high school. My English teacher assigned The Thread That Runs So True as part of our summer reading. I am now a college professor & I thought that it would be fun to reread the book now that I have classes to teach.
Stuart's book is powerful. He explains the limited circumstances of his Kentucky pupils in a way that makes you think about the lack of opportunities many Americans face. Stuart will also force you to take off your rose-colored glasses about how wonderful things used to be. He recounts stories of students beating up teachers, indifferent administrators, and students literally walking barefoot in the snow to get to school. The good-old days weren't so great.
One of the best aspects of the Thread That Runs So True is that Stuart has tremendous faith in humanity - and in education's ability to improve each of us and our society. He recounts many instances in which students from the most-impoverished families dramatically improved their lives by going to school. Even a cynic will find it difficult not to feel a little inspired by reading this book.
In my opinion, the book is not perfect. Stuart's argument that education funding is the panacea to cure society's ills is dated; we now know that money for education is very important, but that money alone does not always promote student achievement. Also, I don't want to give anything away, but I thought that the ending of the book was very unsatisfying.
While The Thread That Runs So True has a few drawbacks, it is an inspiring story that will teach you a lot about education early in the 20th Century U.S.
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Education DNA ( nwils32 )
This book and story takes the reader into the world of education at the grass roots rural level. From the one room school house with 20 year old students still mired in the first grade to brilliant students from impoverished backgrounds. A terrific review and account of cultural conditions in the 1930's, from the depression to WWII. A must read for educators/teachers. Many of the methods and means used by the author will shock and surprise today's readers, but this is Kentucky in the 1930's. Imagery depicted is fantastic.
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