The Education of Little Tree / Edition 25

by Forrest Carter

Overview

The Education of Little Tree has been embedded in controversy since the revelation that the autobiographical story told by Forrest Carter was a complete fabrication. The touching novel, which has entranced readers since it was first published in 1976, has since raised questions, many unanswered, about how this quaint and engaging tale of a young, orphaned boy could have been written by a man whose life was so overtly rooted in hatred. How can this story, now discovered to be fictitious, fill our hearts with so much emotion as we champion Little Tree's childhood lessons and future successes?

The Education of Little Tree tells with poignant grace the story of a boy 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 and taught 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, sharecroppers, Christians, and politicians. Each vignette, whether frightening, funny, heartwarming, or sad, teaches our protagonist about life, love, nature, work, friendship, and family. A classic of its era and an enduring book for all ages, The Education of Little Tree continues to share important lessons. Little Tree's story allows us to reflect on the past and look toward the future. It offers us an opportunity to ask ourselves what we have learned and where it will take us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826328090
Publisher:	University of New Mexico Press
Publication date:	08/31/2001
Edition description:	25th Anniversary Edition
Pages:	228
Sales rank:	75,016
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Lexile:	890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Forrest Carter (1925-1979) was born as Asa Earl Carter and was raised in Oxford, Alabama. He was a segregationist speech writer who reinvented himself as a Western novelist, publishing The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales, The Vengeance Trail of Josey Wales, The Education of Little Tree, and Watch for Me on the Mountain.

Editorial Reviews

Proclaimed the American Booksellers Association Book of the Year in 1991, this sweet account of a boy being raised by Cherokee grandparents was exposed as false later that year. The author’s real name was Asa Earl Carter; he had no Native American ancestors, and many of the cultural references were inaccurate. Though most libraries have moved the book to fiction, it is still popular with readers seeking inspirational titles. (LJ11/15/76)

(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal

Topics include the impact of new technologies on instruction, the relationship of the library and information school to other teaching departments on a campus, education for informational professionals at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the future of research in the information sector. Reprint (in cloth) of the 1985 (U. of New Mexico Pr.) paperback memoir of a Cherokee boyhood in the 1930s, by the man who later went on to write the Josey Wales novels. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"Some of it is sad, some of it is hilarious, some of it is unbelievable, and all of it is charming."—The Atlantic

From the Publisher

This is a candidate for high honours in audio tapes: the story is appealing, the narrator is excellent and the novel has been cut with great thoughtful-ness. Little Tree, orphaned at the age of five, goes to live with his loving Native American grandparents who teach him the ways of the Cherokee. The chapters are self-contained stories, yet the characters are sustained from one chapter to the next. This is due to the comfortable reading done by Peter Coyote who makes the listener believe that the story is his own personal history. Sounding a bit like Henry Fonda, he makes us cry and laugh and care, with straightforward acting and no tricks. J.P. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine

AUG 92 - AudioFile