The Light in the Forest

Written by Conrad Richter

Narrated by Joel Fabiani

"True Son's heart felt like a stone. How could this fantastic and inferior figure in a long fawn-colored garment like a woman's be possibly anything to him-this pallid creature who revealed his feelings in front of all! In the boy's mind came the picture of his Indian father. How differently he would have looked and acted. With what dignity and restraint he could conduct himself in any situation, in peace or war, in council or the hunt, with pipe or tomahawk, rifle or scalping knife. This weak and pale-skinned man was nothing beside him 'He's not my father,' he said."-from The Light in the Forest. Johnny Butler was just four years old when his Lenni Lenape "father," Cuyloga, spoke the words that siphoned out his white blood and put Indian blood in its place. Now the Yengwes, the white soldiers, were taking him back to his "true" home. Inside of him hate and anger spread like poisons. The Light in the Forest, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Conrad Richter, will touch a new generation with its lasting truths.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 3, 2009
• ISBN: 9781440702976

Reviews for The Light in the Forest

[joanne45_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In response to Brandon Warburtons review - which was quite comprehensive - I would like to add that there appears to me to be many contemporary parallels within this novel. The most obvious would be the divided family, fractured by divorce. Children growing up now often are forced to deal with divorce. Often the child is asked to abandon loyalty to one parent to earn the favor of the other parent. The having to choose sides forced on 'True Son' is most relevant. I find Richter's ability to present the 'good' and the 'bad' of both the Indian culture and the white culture as most remarkable. This novel is a morsel that tempted me to read more of Richter. If one goes on to read other of Conrad Richter's historical novels, one can gain quite a new perspective on the history of our nation in light of the Indian/White conflicts.

[francaroll · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

True Son is a white child adapted by an Indian tribe when he was around 6 years old. Now he is fifteen, and a treaty has been signed toreturn all white "prisoners" to their biological home. True Son has become a Native American through and through. He despises the idea of leaving his family and tribe but must be marched off with the rest anyway because his father feels that this will be the only way they can keepthe whitemen from taking thier lands.Through True Son's eyes we are astonished to see how the Native Americans viewed the white culture, and could not understand or tolerate their ways. This truely remarkable book is appealing to all ages, and can be read and re-read through out the years without growing old or trite.

[tiffanyhickox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book! it beautifully depicts the clash between two cultures and the heartbreaking consequences of two cultures that are unable to understand and respect their differences.

[t1bclasslibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was well-written, and would have gotten a higher rating, except that it was so depressing. True Son is a white boy adopted by Native Americans at the age of four and taken back to his white family at fifteen. He despises all of them except for his little brother, and he hates their way of life. When he finally escapes, it seems that things should get better for him, but, in a complicated twist, new problems emerge.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel by Conrad Richter tells the story of a boy who was captured and raised by Indians and then must be returned to his white family due to a treaty. The boy has been with the Indians long enough that he has forgotten his white family and would rather stay with his Indian family. His adopted father, a warrior of honor, forces him to leave.He is marched across the frontier and returned to his family who appear to have little sympathy for what this boy is going through. They just want him to be white and fit in, but don’t take the time to help him make this transition. Eventually he runs away and tries to return to the wilderness.A interesting story of frontier life in Pennsylvania and of a boy that ultimately fits into neither world yet must try and find a place for himself. A rather sad story, but it certainly makes you think about how things haven’t really changed all that much, different is still unacceptable to many.