A review by kpickens512
Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss

3.0

This is a story that is not covered in American history classes, and it is tragic on so many different level that is a testament to Jim Thorpe's strength of character that he survived. He and many other Native American children were sent to government technical schools to assimilate them into American culture. Thousands of Native American mysteriously died or disappeared at these school and were the victims of physical and sexual abuse. Jim took up sports which he excelled in every field that he attempted. At that time, football players did not have protective equipment including helmets, so the players sustained injuries including traumatic brain injuries. As Thorpe became an aging athlete with no income, he began drinking and passed away at 64 years old.

The author did a great of research for this book, and I did learn that both Pop Warner of youth football fame and Richard Henry Pratt were strategically involved with the Carlile school and its philosophy of converting Native American children into productive members of society through the racsist philosphy of "kill the Indian, save the man.'' The bodies of the children who did not survive these tactics are stilling being dug up.