Jim Thorpe's Bright Path

Review
By The Circle

(The Circle: Native American News and Arts Newspaper) In Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path, Bruchac (Abinaki) tells a beautiful tale of the famous athlete’s childhood years, growing up in Oklahoma. Without preaching or turning into a history lesson, Bruchac incorporates the negative abuses (such as mandatory boarding schools for Indian children) against Indians into the story. And in doing so, unfolds the heartbreaking tale of Thorpe’s youth, and his strength to continue on his path despite his beloved family and culture being torn from him… S.D. Nelson’s (Lakota) paintings bring the words to life with soft pastel tones and textured images, creating vastly different moods throughout the story. Despite being the sad tale of his childhood, Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path is ultimately about overcoming life’s harsh obstacles, and the power of self-belief.