A Complicated Yet Inspirational Life – “Path Lit By Lightning” By David Maraniss
Review By Jeff Benjamin
“Complicated things CHALLENGE us most,
HURTS us the most, and there we LEARN the most.”
– Bradley B. Dalina
“Fact are stubborn things” – John Adams
Mining through the life of Jim Thorpe has always presented to researchers with unique challenges.
Beginning during his lifetime, Thorpe has been the subject of numerous bios where quite a few authors “fell for” a few exaggerations of the great athlete.
Robert Wheeler’s thoroughly researched 1970s Thorpe work, consisting of eyewitness accounts from over 200 people, has been the best that others have been measured against.
Sadly, Thorpe’s story has not resonated with nor been portrayed very much with a new generation of Americans in the 21st century. After all, the only Hollywood movie made on Thorpe was the 1950 picture starring Burt Lancaster.
But now it’s Dave Maraniss’ turn!
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author has turned his sights on to the Sac & Fox Native-American sports giant with his new work entitled “Path Lit By Lightning.”
The result – A sweeping revisit for old and new readers alike who can hope to comprehend Thorpe’s legendary life, with all the ups and downs and how he fought through them.
What is different about Maraniss’ book is that the author successfully draws parallels of American history “running” (pardon the pun!”) alongside the life of Thorpe. Smoothly woven into Thorpe’s life is the existential prejudicial hatred towards Native Americans, from the 1830 period of Chief Black Hawk and Andrew Jackson right up to President Theodore Roosevelt dedicating Mount Rushmore alongside names mentioned and described in chronological order such as Phil Sheridan and beyond going forward.
All these events and personalities would exploit Thorpe and many Native-American youths, culminating in the rise of “Indian Schools,” of which the school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, would justifiably take note. Unlike the Thorpe movie of the 1950s, the Carlisle Indian School was anything but a so-called perfect campus, with its sign “Kill the Indian, save the Man” displayed at its entrance in the quest to transform the Indian into an…
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