Light in The Forest by Conrad Richter (1953)- Fiction

A young man's attempt to reconcile his past and present life between Native American and White society

Conrad Richter opens his 117 page novella with this line: "The boy was fifteen years old." Immediately this sounds like Young Adult literature, but I wouldn't suggest it to a fidgety 13 year old reader. Younger readers might be put off by some three-quarter page length descriptions of setting and "action" scenes that don't move like a Marvel movie fight scene.

But don't turn away yet teens; Richter has crafted a beautiful little story that delves into the real historical dilemmas White children faced who were kidnapped and raised by Native American tribes. The events of this particular story are fictional; however, its premise is real. It takes place sometime in the early eighteen hundred in the then-wilderness of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The fifteen year old protagonist True Son, born John Butler, has spent most of life with the Lenni Lenape tribe on the Tuscarawas River. He was kidnapped as a very young child (I forget the exact age) and now a deal has been struck between the White settlers and Natives which includes returning White captives. The central crux of the novella revolves around True Son's struggle to come to terms with his return to the White civilization; a society True Son adamantly considers the "enemies" side. True son idolizes his father Cuyloga who is a leader among his people. True Son tries to imitate Cuyloga's stoicism as his biological family tries to socialize him back into their world. Some family and friends are adept at understanding and even sympathizing with True Son's dilemma while others will compel you to pull your own hair out.

In the Acknowledgments section Ritcher is clear that his intentions for the novella are not to show favoritism toward either the White or the Native sides. I think he stays true to his word by describing horrific deeds and disturbing beliefs carried out by both sides. He recognizes that in our "pride of our American liberties, we're apt to forget that already we've lost a great many to civilization. The American Indians once enjoyed far more than we." He shows a sense of freedom and connection with nature that White settlers were unfamiliar with. However, he also hopes that the novella will show today’s “African, European, and Asian peoples” that they also hold some unwarranted ideas about Western society.

Ritcher shines in his ability to pack a lot of plot and conflict into 117 pages. He’ll make you ponder questions pertaining to one’s identity as it relates to your family and society as a whole. You’ll likely feel torn at the choices True Son must face and not like anyone in particular by the end. The novella's style and tone is somewhat pensive and thoughtful but still engaging enough to keep most readers interested. It’s also worth noting that Ritcher must have spent a lot time researching the geography as he describes with fine detail the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of the setting.

There’s nothing noteworthy to criticize about Ritcher's novella. It simply may not be to everyone’s taste. There are a few gruesome descriptions of violence, but nothing you wouldn't see in a PG-13 movie. If you’d like to read something short about a boy’s struggle to reconcile his present and past life and if you enjoy beautiful description of setting then this is a story well worth the read.

Highest Score - 5 Trophies

Writing: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Readability: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Plot: 🏆🏆🏆🏆

Characters: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

Overall: 🏆🏆🏆🏆