The Education of Little Tree

I just finished reading “The Education of Little Tree” for the second time and I highly recommend it to people of all ages. Its charm lies in its point of view: an Indian boy sharing what he’s learned of the world around him through adventures with his Cherokee grandparents in the Tennessee mountains of Depression era America. We get the child’s impression of local characters, of bloviating politicians, of the illegal whiskey trade and of the casual prejudice of white people (which he often poignantly misinterprets). There are laugh-out-loud scenes, as when two bootleggers from the city undergo a hilarious hazing into the ways of the mountains. There are also tear-inducing scenes, as when Little Tree is taken from his grandparents by the heartless social work bureaucracy. Through all of Little Tree’s adventures, the reader learns along with him. It’s a fun, touching and memorable journey. “The Education of Little Tree” is a wonderful book to share with friends of all ages. I’ve made a point of giving it to friends who are not big readers because it is so easy to read, and Little Tree’s adventures immediately draw them into the story. It makes reading fun and also conveys many important lessons about people, life and the natural world we inhabit. I love this book, and the movie they made from it is also outstanding.

Love this book. First read it when I was a kid, maybe 12 years old. Still enjoy it now as an adult.

I loved this book, there are many funny stories and wonderful descriptions of the many characters that had an Impact in Little Trees life. It is such a beautiful story reading about the many lessons he learned from his grandparents, and growing up with a close connection with nature. But it broke my heart when he was taken away from his carers and treated so badly which is the story of many Native American children. This was the kind of book that made me sad, mad, happy and laugh a lot. When a book can do that, its something special.

I teach at what is, perhaps, the most culturally diverse university in the US. I can tell you that Little Tree greatly inspires people of all ages and backgrounds. The deal is, yeah. Carter did some screwed up stuff. But from what I have learned, he was coming from a place we don't acknowledge. The Yankees were not saints, bestowing bliss upon the South. And a lot of Native Americans got a better shake from the Confederates. So there is some history there, and I suspect that fueled Carter's early hatred. That said....and I am NOT apologizing for Carter's early behavior...you can look at this book and realize that, in the end, it's really an apologia. The only really sympathetic white character in the book is Jewish. Except for a librarian or store owner, who are minor figures. I think Carter got over his youthful stupidity and produced a masterpiece. In the end, this is not the work of a career racist. And it is, as many reviewers insist, a work of profound beauty, spiritual truth, and common good. My students from Iran, China, Salvador...name a place...they all relate to it's simple moral courage, it's engaging humor, and the grace of its prose. So. If you wish to condemn a writer for his flawed early statements, cancel Hemingway (anti-Semitism and racial language), cancel Pound (Fascism and worse), cancel T. S. Eliot (see above), cancel Shakespeare (see above). Deal is, ladies and gentlemen, that in a way, this book is one of the few I can think of that overrides the author's past prejudices. It does so wonderfully. I cannot recommend it too fervently. It's one of the great novels, ever.

This is a charming, heartwarming story that works for both adult and younger readers. It helps the reader gain an understanding of others and of the relationships, both with the natural environment and with the people we love. You will grow to love the characters of "Little Tree" and his grandparents. The story is so very touching that I cried tears as I completed my reading. I highly recommend this lovely book to people of all gender and ages.

I think every American should read this book. It's narrated by a Native Indian (Cherokee) as a very young boy, growing up under the care of his grandparents. It's beautiful, the narrative is always touching, often brilliant, gorgeously descriptive, and it could actually bring most anybody to tears, not always of sorrow but tears of joy in places. Little Tree, the narrator, does his very best to tell the story, and does it very well despite his limited knowledge of grammar. However, being 1/4 Cherokee myself, I remember very clearly how my grandmother spoke at times and Little Tree pretty much nabbed it. I can't recommend this book enough. Any American who wants a close look at the lives and language and beauty of our own early Americans, the Cherokee and other tribes, should read this. Little Tree's expressions and descriptions are touching and adorable, you'll fall in love with him and I promise you, you'll never forget him and his grandmother and grandfather. Lots of accuratendian history in this book. all true, some very sad, i.e., descriptions of the Trail of Tears, which always grab me and don't let go for months afterward, if ever. Just a great, great novel of how our ancestors, Indian or not, lived back in the day. I love, love, love this entire book. I'll keep it forever.

Very important story!

I don't know how so much of my life has passed without coming across Little Tree, but now that I have, this book will be read again and again. A poignant story full of wit and wisdom, as relevant to us now as it was when it was written in the 1930s.

Lots of lesions of life how to make the complicated easy often the children know more than us as adults

Irgendwo hatte ich gelesen, dieses Buch sei ein Kult Buch und wer es einmal gelesen habe, werde es sein Leben lang nie wieder vergessen. Und ich dachte: Nee, ist klar. Wieder so ein Verkaufs-Blabla. Und dann hab ich es gelesen und es hat mich nachhaltig beeindruckt, ich liebe es. Du kannst so viel lernen von diesem kleinen Büchlein und es sagt in seiner liebevollen Geschichte, die sich zwischen dem kleinen Jungen Little Tree und seinem Großvater entspinnt, soviel über das Leben und unseren Umgang mit dieser Erde aus (ohne jemals zu belehren, einfach durch die Geschichte). Es berührt mich auf eine warmherzige Weise ganz tief. Ich habe dieses Buch an ganz besondere Menschen verschenkt, die ich teilhaben lassen möchte. Ich kann nur sagen: Little Tree - ein Kult Buch!

Likely the best book I’ve ever read. Makes you laugh, makes you cry. I’ve been reading it for over 30 years and have bought at least six copies. It is a fun book to give away. I’ve never had anyone say they didn’t enjoy it.

Brilliant, a real good read, full of happiness, sadness and pathos. I decided to read this after having read the Josey WLes novel and I am so glad that I did.