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Cathleen (USA: PA) (2007/01/22):
From Publishers Weekly
Richter's (The Awakening Land) classic tale of a boy torn between families and cultures makes for a compelling audio adaptation. When he was just four years old, John Cameron Butler was captured by the Lenne Lenape Indians. He has since been adopted by the Indians, who named him True Son, and has grown to love the only family he has ever known, as well as the ways of his people. But now it's 1765 and in order to make a land deal, the Lenne Lenape and other tribes have agreed to return all their captives to the white Army, including now-15-year-old True Son/John. When he arrives at the Butler home in Paxton, Pa., True Son chafes at his white family's speech, customs and clothing, acting defiant and depressed. He soon manages (with help from his cousin Half Arrow) a dangerous escape and rejoins his Indian relatives. But once back among his people, True Son commits an act of betrayal that forces the Lenne Lenape to disown him forever, leaving him a young man unsure of where he belongs. Bregy's assured, crisp delivery gives extra resonance to Richter's careful scene-setting, quickly transporting listeners to a distinct, long-ago era. Ages 10-up. (Jan.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-A classic in its own right, this novel by Conrad Richter (Knopf, 1953) lends itself well to the dramatic reading by Terry Bregy. John Butler, born in a small frontier town, was captured at age four by the Lenni Lenape Indians and raised by the great warrior, Cuyloga, who named the boy "True Son." He grew up thinking, feeling, and fighting like an Indian. Now rescued and restored to his family because of a treaty to return all white captives to their own people, John Butler rebels against this civilization and desires to return to the tribe. Escaping from the family farm in Pennsylvania, he discovers the eternal and irreconcilable conflict between the two worlds. "True Son"/John Butler asks, "Who am I? Where do I belong?" The narrative reading is replete with emotion; it reflects the harshness and the eloquence of the story as it is revealed. The benefits of listening to this moving tale are many; expression and dramatic reading aid understanding. For a sense of history and a sense of conflict between two different cultures, this novel is a masterpiece by one of America's finest writers. School and public libraries will want to make this a priority purchase.
Patricia Mahoney Brown, Franklin Elementary School, Kenmore, NY
Stephen (USA: MD) (2013/04/03):
John Cameron Butler is abducted by indians during a raid when he's four but he's adopted by one of the raiders and lives the next 11 years as True Son a full member of the Lenni Lenape tribe. When the tribe agrees to a peace treaty and to return all "captives" True Son is an unwilling re-patriot into the world of the white man. Written in 1953 this book has been largely forgotten, but is relevant and feels no more outdated than it probably did when first written. At 120 pages this book is a lightning fast read dealing with alienation and defining one's role in society, issues that modern teen boys will just as readily identify with as those in the 50's. This book is remarkably well-balanced and somehow manages to avoid painting either the native culture or the white culture as being the villain or the utopia. This book is well worth the reading time, if you can find it.
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