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The Education of Little Tree By Forrest Carter ( University of New Mexico Press )
Release Date: 2001-08-31
Average Customer Rating:
List Price: $14.95
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Product Description
The Education of Little Tree tells of a boy orphaned very young, who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the Great Depression.“Little Tree” as his grandparents call him is shown how to hunt and survive in the mountains, to respect nature in the Cherokee Way, taking only what is needed, leaving the rest for nature to run its course. Little Tree also learns the often callous ways of white businessmen and tax collectors, and how Granpa, in hilarious vignettes, scares them away from his illegal attempts to enter the cash economy. Granma teaches Little Tree the joys of reading and education. But when Little Tree is taken away by whites for schooling, we learn of the cruelty meted out to Indian children in an attempt to assimilate them and of Little Tree’s perception of the Anglo world and how it differs from the Cherokee Way. A classic of its era, and an enduring book for all ages, The Education of Little Tree has now been redesigned for this twenty-fifth anniversary edition.
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 The Education of Little Tree
A real treasure. A warm and poignant story, funny, sad and a good reminder of what it is all about.
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A Life Changing Work, Despite Its Author
If you've read any of the other reviews before this one, then you know the story behind this book. If you haven't read any other reviews, then don't until you read this book.
I was leading a group of advanced readers in my 3rd grade class and this was one of the books the librarian recommended. Being that I was teaching in a Christian school, I had to read the book first to make sure it was appropriate. I began by simply skimming it which lasted maybe a paragraph before I was totally taken in by the story. I finished the story four hours later in the middle of the night. I could not put it down. The book moved me so intensely that I immediately went to the computer to research the author and find any other works. What I found literally caused me to grieve. I was hurt and felt betrayed. There I go, almost ruining it!
But instead of telling you everything involved in this drama, I recommend that you read the book. I went on to read the book with my ninth grade literature class two years in a row. It was too mature for the third graders and the older kids were reading modern works. It was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever given.
The background and spectacle caused by this book is a perfect example of the ad hominem fallacy. An individual's personal choices do not necessarily make their work null and void. I had my students fall in love with this book before I gave them the background of its author. Most of them came to the same conclusion: this man was changed somewhere along the way. Whatever he was in previous years, he had had an experience that gave him the ability to touch our lives in such a powerful way that he MUST have been changed. But the argument rages on.
I encourage you to read it for yourself and allow it to teach you. Though it is not a Christian book, it has much truth in it that is borrowed from a Christian worldview. Much of it is even prophetic in a very convicting sense for Christians. It helps us look in the mirror to see ourselves anew.
I quoted this book extensively in my podcast, Christian With A Brain. It set the tone for a discussion I did on Understanding the Atheistic Heart. Don't let the drama scare you off, this book is well worth reading.
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Excellent
Nutshell review - Not withstanding the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the story and author, there are two ways to read this story; (1) with your mind, or (2) with your heart. The first way will gain you little. The second way will truly touch you.
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Confederate Cherokees ( mtbrandon )
Some of the reviewers here seem unfamiliar with Cherokee History. Forrest Carter was of Cherokee ancestry and was a fiery Southerner with racist views. These facts are not so mutually exclusive as one would assume. The Cherokee nation was allied with the Confederate States during the war. Colonel(later General) Stand Watie led the Cherokee Mounted Rifles. Aside from the Cherokee, there were Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes fighting with the Confederates as well. So you see, Forrest Carter (or Asa if you like) was more than likely a product of his times. Not an evil man, just wrong. But he did write a great book.
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Good story... ( davidkanigan )
A 5-year old orphan named Little Tree is raised by his Cherokee Grandma and Grandpa in a small mountain home during the days of the Depression. Little Tree learns about the Cherokee tribe and history. He also learns about the importance of love and respect for the land. His grandparents struggle to survive under difficult conditions however they show incredible compassion and love as they raise Little Tree. There is considerable debate over whether this book is fiction or non-fiction. Whatever it happens to be, this is good heartwarming story that is worth reading and having your children read.
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