The Education of Little Tree

The Education of Little Tree is one of the very best books I’ve ever read and one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. They are both BEAUTIFUL, excellent, well-done. I don’t see how either the book or the movie could be better. I have to tell you that I am hard to please, and this book and movie both please me exceedingly.

I didn’t know this story when I was teaching school. Had I known it, I would have wanted my children to read it. I might have read it to them. And if the movie had been out, we would have gone to see the movie.

It is the story of a little Cherokee boy, Little Tree, who lives with his white grandfather and Indian grandmother back in the prohibition days. I saw the main characters as very real and with a point of view that was not the accepted point of view of the world at the time. The family’s values were not the accepted values of the time. I couldn’t help but feel that the family was right, and the world was wrong.

By every fiber of my being, I am sure it was wrong for the State to come in and take this beautiful child away from his loving family and put him in a strict unkind unloving orphanage. The intent of the State, as best I could figure, was to take away the children’s identity. Little Tree was given the name Joshua. If any child got caught mentioning his or another child’s given name, he was whipped. And the State was sure they were right. I’d like to give them a piece of my mind.

The author of The Education of Little Tree had used a pen name. At some point, the author’s real name was discovered. The author of this beautiful book had been a well-known white supremist. Obviously, the man who wrote this book had had a change of heart, or he couldn’t have written it. But because of the author’s past, the book was removed from reading lists. The Education of Little Tree was one of Oprah’s book choices, and she withdrew it.

There are lots of things in life that I don’t understand, and this is one of them. In fact, I think this is one of the silliest things I have ever heard. There is judgment for you. Throw away a great book because of the author’s past. I would say congratulations to the author — he got out of his past. I want to apologize to the author.

I believe that God in Heavenletters™ has said, if something is true, it doesn’t matter who said it.

I don’t understand the controversy about whether the book was truth or fiction. What difference does it make? Good fiction is true. What’s the problem? There are plenty of non-fiction books, I’m sure, that may be factual but do not begin to hold a candle to the univeral truths in The Education of Little Tree.

Have you read it?

Posted by Gloria on July 29th, 2009 under these topics
Book Review, Education, Heaven Letters, Godwriting Journal

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5 Replies

Reply from Pam (fortheloveofGodde) on July 29, 2009

I have not read it but it is definitely going on my list. I recently caught part of A Rabbit Proof Fence that I had seen some time ago. It’s about the same issue, but in Australia. How the state would take the aboriginal children away from their culture, basically train them to be servants and conform to the white person’s world. Two girls escape this and return home–thousands of miles. It’s a great movie.

Reply from Jack van Raders on July 29, 2009

Yes I saw The Movie 2 times and I agree with You Dear Gloria it is a fantastic story and It did tell me that people have grown tremendously since that time. We are all guilty of being judgemental and same with the Rabit Fence. The covernment took away children that were halve casts. Because neither the whites nor the Aborigenees would accept the children in there culture. Some Aboriginees did kill the halve casts or send them out of there tribes into the wild. People like always took the view that ALL halve casts were being maltreated and made the law into something like the inquisition. People are used to making their own translations and thus good intentions are warped. Look what people did with the reachings of Jesus. In Holland where I grew up in the 40ties there were 300 differend Christian religions. More Heaven Letters will eventually get the people to change their thinking and Love will come from the Heart. Let us ALL spread our LOVE. But only if you want too. Jack

Reply from One on July 30, 2009

Pam, I did see The Rabbit Proof Fence. It is a beautiful movie. There is also a little bit of a similar theme in the movie called Australia with the guy who plays Wolverine.

Senora I would like very much to read this book during the Oneness Journey.

I was wondering about white people. Where do these people live? I have never seen a white person in my life.

Reply from Gloria on July 31, 2009

Senor, I am quite sure I have packed The Education of Little Tree in a box of books to take with us.

If I remember correctly from an art class, the color white is really a combination of all colors.

Reply from Lynda Hallett on August 2, 2009

Hello Gloria,
I haven’t read the book, I will though.
It is too bad Oprah could not find it in her heart to celebrate that the person who wrote the book, had obviously changed.I had to pull myself back from judging her judgement.
Is this not about acceptance? Jack is right, when more people find Heavenletters, love will come from the heart.

Have we not all done something in life at one point or another, and grew, changed, and eventually accepted ourselves for what happened and then moved on? And we asked that the people in our lives would not judge us? And they did anyway? For them to judge, speaks to their misunderstanding of unconditional love.

Thank God the writer developed the insight to be able to write this book. Many books are written from such an experience.

Personally, I would like to be the colour periwinkle, as it is my favourite colour. It would be very difficult to choose a wardrobe though.

in love & light,
Lynda

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