Ellis, Jerry. Walking the trail; one man's journey along the Cherokee Trail of Tears - Book Review

Univ. of Nebraska, Bison Books. 256p. map. c1991. 0-80326743-6. $15.00. SA

Many people have heard the phrase "trail of tears" without realizing what it refers to. It is an apt description of the path of those peaceful Cherokee who were forced to leave their farms in Georgia and march on a trail of death to what is now Oklahoma. Their journey has haunted American history, moving those who hear of it to more tears. It is something that permeates the memory of all the ancestors of those who survived. Jerry Ellis, of Cherokee ancestry, wished to honor those ancestors by reversing their travels from Oklahoma to Georgia (and finally to his rural home in northern Alabama). His goal was to walk and camp the whole way, taking in the land and the people as he went.

Walking the Trail is not a diary exactly, nor history (although history is scattered along the way). It is more of a meditative catharsis. It is low key, yet heartfelt. "Or is he trying to tell me something else? I've been in Tahlequah only four days, but already time and space are taking on new dimensions. I was zapped by a child practicing sorcery. I was the house guest of an anthropologist whose past girlfriend could become an owl ... Definitely not short on intrigue, I push down on the Trail and Tahlequah disappears around the bend" (p. 42). For those with an interest in the subject or those who enjoy personal, intimate travel memoirs, this would be a nice choice. For public and academic libraries. Katherine E. Gillen, Libn., Luke AFB Lib., AZ

COPYRIGHT 2002 Kliatt
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