The Education of Little Tree

Rating:
Summary: blessed irony
Review: Okay, first let's get the ugliness out of the way. The recent boom in memoirs has produced a really fascinating phenomena, the true life tale which any intelligent reader knows to be fiction. The most celebrated recent examples are books like Angela's Ashes, wherein Frank McCourt reconstructs his entire childhood and verbatim dialogue in such loving detail that we realize that his memoir is ultimately a fictional take on his own autobiography (see Orrin's review). But in The Education of Little Tree we have an even more audacious author. Forrest Carter's supposed memoir of being raised by his Cherokee grandparents after being orphaned at age 5, likewise recreates his youth in a level of detail that makes the story hard to credit, but in addition the characters he creates and episodes he relates defy belief. The simple old Cherokee couple living at one with nature in a marriage of equals seems to be a purely mythic creation, but then when the five year old joins them and helps them outwit government bureaucrats, Christian missionaries, big city mobsters, etc., in between trips to the library to get the classics of Western Literature which Grandma reads aloud each night, you can really feel the text leaving any claim to a basis in reality behind. Finally, as the story ends with Little Tree, now age 9, and his two loyal dogs, working their way across Depression America to get to the Cherokee Reservation, we've entered Cloud Cuckoo Land.

So I mentioned all of this to my Mom, who along with my brother urged this book upon me, and she said that she'd seen a People Magazine article about Carter a dozen years ago and it, naturally, turned out that the book is fiction. A little quick research on the Web turns up the fact that it's not just fiction, it's virtually a hoax. Carter was actually named Asa Carter. He was a rabid segregationist who adopted the pseudonym Bedford Forrest, in honor of the Confederate general who founded the Klan. He may or may not have been a speech writer for George Wallace, but he did claim to have written the infamous "Segregation Forever!" speech.

Now having said all that, there's one more thing that needs to be said about the book; it's terrific. In many ways it reminded me of The Power of One, both are books of such surpassing beauty and heartwarming humanity, who cares if they are completely unrealistic? Isn't one of the chief values of fiction the capacity to transcend reality? The Education of Little Tree teaches timeless lessons about the value of family, education and place and it preaches an abiding mistrust of government. If it also managed to snooker most of the touchy feely, do-gooder, Left, which desperately wishes that these were all Native American values, and not essentially Western ones, this merely allows us to enjoy it on a second level. After all, it's not hard to make Oprah & company look stupid, but it is fun.

GRADE: A

Rating:
Summary: Excellent account of family values, and with a unique POV.
Review: In THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE, Forrest Carter spins a semi-autographical story of a child who "lived a lifetime" in a matter of few years. The story deals with values held close to the hearts of Native American, India Indian families, as well as those of any culture who would read it with an open heart. Carter, using all the emotions universally known (such as joy, love, sadness, compassion, to mention a few), manages to make the reader sympathize and, at times, empathize with the main characters. Using a young boy's Point of View, Carter makes the reader laugh, cry, and experience prejudice brought about by well-meaning people, who are ignorant of others' ways. I, being from India, was able to understand the story because of its universal qualities.Little Tree's is the perfect voice to use to speak of values taught him, of ancient cultures and of the history of his people; he is also the one to account, in a realistic manner, for modern practices, which are incomprehensible to him, to his grandparents and to Little John. He narrates each of their reactions to the various happenings around them, without rancor or hatred toward anyone. The story ends on an upbeat note that we must LIVE life to the fullest, no matter what happens. As all the adults in the book, Little John, the Grandfather, and the Grandmother said at some time or another, "Next time it will be better..." The grandmother lovingly added, "We will wait for you, Little Tree..." The story is worth reading more than once. This is one that should be in every library. Peter Coyote does a good reading of the story in Audio Books. Although Carter is criticised by many for his alleged activities in adulthood, he did write books that had meaning for our times. His story of Geronimo, WATCH FOR ME ON THE MOUNTAIN, is said to be as historically correct as a novel can be, by none other than Angie DeBois. Thank you for your time. You will not regret buying any of his books, but THE EDUCATION...should be a must in your personal library. Nirmala Varmha

Rating:
Summary: My Fellow Appalchians!
Review: Being a life-long Appalchian native myself, I found the "Education of Little Tree" to be quite a realistic depiction of cultural and personal experiences of the rural, old-time Appalachian life style. This story hit home with me on a personal level like nothing else I have encountered! This was an experience which was uplifting, passionate and enlightening despite the fact that the story contains many disheartening and even somewhat cruel extractions from the time frame and cultural environment in which it takes place. This story is a deviation from the main stream for most folks, yet it evokes feelings and values which will bring together people from all walks of life in a heart-felt manner by engaging the most powerful, but basic emotions in one and all! The characters bring about an interesting combination of personnas as they blend the Native American life styles and beliefs into the Anglo-American culture which is bent on pushing its inflexible attitudes upon everyone that it touches. This is an adaptation of exploring the harshness of life in rural Appalachia and the culture shocks of the time. This will be an eye-opener to those not familiar with Native Americans in Appalachia and their struggles fitting into a rigid, ever-growing white society. This story also contains an insightful mixture of sorrow, humor and seriousness with more fact than fiction while ultimately teaching us all something about ourselves, as well as Little Tree! ...

Rating:
Summary: LIVING IN HARMONY WITH MEN AND NATURE
Review: Where does one start to describe this extraordinary book--a literary Sleeper which defies the usual genre classification, whose autobiographical storyline transcends the mere Depression years' upbringing of a young Indian boy? The 21 chapters encompass and celebrate the meaning of Life itself--which is made more poignant by the inevitability of Death itself. They focus on developing a sense of self worth and personal dignity, valuing family, reducing stress when cultures clash and appreciating man's role in nature. Not trendy topics in this frantic, high-tech world, but then eternal truths don't need to compete for glitzy attention; they will wait quietly for eventual resepct.

Five-year-old Little Tree goes to live with his Indian grandparents--mountain folk who exist on the fringe of a white settlement in the southeast--when he is orphaned. His education consists of: Indian lore and learning THE WAY, the history of the Cherokee nation and post Civil War hardships. He studies the Dictionary and struggles through the Classics with his literate grandmother; he learns basic arithmetic from a Jewish pedlar. But this smart lad absorbs much more in his three years on the mountain, which are lovingly detailed: honest lessons from Nature, bad lessons from callous and ignorant whites, good truths from generous and caring native Americans who all contribute to his complete education. Best of all, he studies that persecuted but ever-popular "trade" of distilling corn whiskey from his wise grandfather!

This book quite simply offers the reader a little bit of everything: humor, history, wisdom, political atrocity, wit, self-sacrifice, bigotry, coping with sorrow and failure, internal growth, Indian ideals, pride in family and resepct for Nature. The plot is a bit thin in the first chapters, as the author shares his childhood reminiscences. But it gradually dawns on us that this book can not be evaluated as other novels; it stands alone, as do the Native Americans, clinging to their traditions in the face of mockery from "civilization." Little Tree emerges as a young man with a strong sense of Family, pride in his heritage, deep-rooted connections with Nature, and faith in the hereafter. He has learned enough to survive in the white man's world, but will always treasure his mountain roots. An introspective read which will touch your heart, which you will never forget.

Rating:
Summary: Controversial, magical, worth reading and fighting over.
Review: For years, I've used Little Tree in my developmental reading classes with mostly black and hispanic men and women. Before I had heard of the controversy, I was impressed by the beauty of the book. I loved the way my slow, insecure readers could feel smarter than the narrator, as they realized they knew more than the small boy did. It was the most universally appreciated book I'd ever come across; people from all over the world, ages from 17 to 70 respond deeply to it. So what happened when I found out that Carter's a fake? I took a few years off, and then returned to it. What fascinating discussions we have about human nature, about deception, about what literature is and is not, when my students, totally entranced by the book, find out that it was written by a member of the KKK. Wow! Opportunities for this kind of deeply challenging discussion are too rare to pass up. Finally,is it possible Carter was a closet liberal who made money by writing stupid, silly speeches for stupid politicians, while his heart was in his novels? I don't know, but I love the karmic irony that his book makes my students of all backgrounds re-consider their prejudices, their materialism, their government's abuse of power, their treatment of animals and the environment. Sure, I'm troubled and confused by it all, but ultimately, I smile.

Rating:
Summary: Hmm... Overall, Disappointing
Review: The novel The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter, is overall a good novel, but it would be better if it were read for school than if it were read for fun. This is because it does have a good bit of content about Cherokee life, but it is not especially interesting. The novel is about a young Cherokee boy named Little Tree. When his parents die, he lives with his grandparents, who teach him the ways of the Cherokee. Throughout his life, he is faced with prejudice and discrimination due to his Cherokee heritage.
One of the major components that detracts from the novel is that many otherwise well-written scenes do not tie together into the plotline of the novel. Throughout the novel, the feeling that multiple short story clips were pieced together into a book. For example, one scene of a foxhunt with the hounds was a nice touch, but it had nothing to do with any of the other portions of the story. Other scenes, such as the one in which Little Tree goes to the candy shop, also have nothing to do with the plot.
Another problem with the novel is that Little Tree has little characterization. He is too bland and mild to make a good character. Especially since the novel's theme is "survival despite discrimination," Little Tree does not seem to have enough mental power to fulfill this role (in most scenes, that is.) His lack of development shows up especially in the way that he nearly always agrees with what others say. He is not just meek; he does not even mentally question the truth of what others say, which is shown in the way that the phrase "Which is right." This is repeated throughout the book. In fact, Granpa would probably have made a better protagonist because he seems to have more of a personality than Little Tree.
One good point of the novel was the attention paid to detail in describing Cherokee lifestyle. Little Tree's grandparents often help him to understand this, allowing the reader to follow along. One example of this is how Granma explains how all Cherokee have a "secret place."
Overall, I would not recommend reading The Education of Little Tree unless you are particularly interested Cherokee life or another topic from the novel. It would also suffice as a school book due

Rating:
Summary: The Education of Little Tree
Review: The Education of Little Tree is a book about the childhood of a young Cherokee. At four years old, Little Tree's parents died and he therefore chooses to live with his grandparents. During the time he stayed with them, he learned The Way of the Cherokee. Being such a young child, he was ladled with heavy responsibilites. His granpa soon became his mentor in his quest for the knowledge he greatly seeked. It was only when his familar family and friends departed, that he truly aquired the basics of the Cherokee life. When his grandparents died, he learned that he was truly a Cherokee, since he could still feel them in the wind and sense them in the mountains. Overall, I would say that the book is definatly one you should consider reading if you are an outdoor enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: Grandpa's Trade
Review: The Education of Little Tree is a very good book. I would have to say that it is one of the better books I have read. I gave this book 5 stars because I believe any book that is able to make me want to read it deserves 5 stars. The Education of Little Tree is wrote in the first person narrative which makes it feel like you are right there next to Grandpa and Little Tree while they are making moonshine. I feel it is important that the author wrote this book in first person because I don't feel that you would get the proper experience from the book if it was wrote any other way. So I can say that this book deserves the ABBY award and any other awards it might recieve.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: This is absolutely the best piece of literature I have ever read. I know that many of the reviewers perceived that the book was extremely racist. I, on the other hand, have concluded that the book is not an attack or slam against any race or ethnicity, but more of an attempt to destroy misconceptions, educate the ignorant, and promote understanding of the differences between all of God's creatures. I believe the author was trying to convey this despite his alleged outward social affiliations. For instance, his account of the sharecroppers' story touched me to the core of my being and gave me a deeper understanding of why African American people are viewed as being 'lazy' and 'shiftless'. The story of the Trail of Tears brought light for me and helped me understand why I have always viewed American Indians as passionately proud and stubbornly unwavering people. The account of the white soldier hiding behind the trees and leaving gifts on the porch of a poor family helped me realize that kindhearted Caucasian people really do exist despite their 'smash and grab' history.

Like many other reviewers I experienced a myriad of emotions while reading this book. Many times I had to close the book and put it down to really think about what I had just read and relive the experience in my mind. I have never cried so much while reading a piece of written work in my life. On the other hand, I have never laughed out loud so much either. In my mind this is excellent. I am recommending the book to everyone in my circle. I am encouraging my 12-year-old daughter to read the book as well. I am a thirty-something year old African American female who has been changed, impacted, reformed because of this great piece of necessary work.

Rating:
Summary: Laughter,Sadness and most of all, love
Review: This book is about a young Indian boy who is brought up in the 1930's depression. He learns a lot from his grandparents on how to live in the mountains. It is a book that gets you feeling all kinds of emotions; laughter,sadness, and love. I liked this book because it goes to show that living with your grandparents or family can sometimes be more of an education then going to a school. I also liked the relationship with his grandfather and what they went through together. It is a book I would recommend for all ages and a good book to share with family. A great adventure.