Customer Reviews

Walking the Trail

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ellis walked 900 miles to honor his Cherokee roots and I--a Cherokee whose ancestors walked the Trail of Tears in 1838--felt that I was with him the whole way. His easy poetic style of writing made everthing come alive and I still see the people he met, his tent and campfires at night. Best book on the Trail and its history I ever read.

This review is basically a THANK-YOU extended out to Jerry Ellis. I purchased & read this Book when it first came out, & couldn't put it down. I have read it several times since, thus, keeping it in my Library to read even more through-out my Life time. It is one of my "specialty" Books, & I have recommended it highly to others through the course of the years. Not only do I find Jerry Ellis to be a captivating Book Author, but he is also very sincere in what he stands for, & I find him to be "Cherokee Proud" like the rest of us who share & stand upon our Cherokee Culture & background. Anybody who is cultured in Native American ways, will automatically pick up on just what Jerry Ellis is all about. Jerry is a devoted person, and true to his Heritage. This Book is very insightful, captivating, and Educational, & in my humble opinion should be stuck in the hands of every young-blooded American "kid" nowadays, instead of a "remote control" or a "Computer mouse!" I have followed the path of Jerry Ellis as an Author & a Public Speaker, and my thanks go out to him for all his endeavors in what he has accomplished so far, and also in the future to come. I highly recommend this Book to anyone who is interested in their Cherokee roots, or gaining more "insight" into the Cherokee culture and the Trail of Tears. Most of all, THANK YOU TO JERRY!

ellis' account of retracing the trailof tears deserves praise for his courageand respect for his fortitude in completing his journey. his chronicle ofhardships encountered along the way weretouching yet are miniscule in comparisonto those who originally walked the trailwhere they cried. an inspiration to all who are descendants of our displaced cherokee ancestors and a challenge to each of us to retrace our own personalancestral footprints.

What a wonderful job Ellis did in writing this story. He mentions Cherokee history then and now, describes the road he's walking on, the people he meets along the way (to include the proverbial weirdoes that make good travelogues so appealing), the emotional ups and downs of physical exertion. Even the daily weather and how it affected his mood was well described.

I especially appreciated his story about the crow and how the crow became the symbol of the Cherokee Nation. I went to visit the Musuem of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina because of this book. That was money well-spent and very educational.

The phrase that sticks out in my mind (I read this book two years ago) is his phrase "Men and boys will always want something from a woman." That is so true...

Ellis is a strange mix of an adventurer, a lover, and a holy man. He takes the mundane ennui of walking along a dirty highway to an ethereal plane, ever loyal to his ancestry. His sensual nature touches, shocks, and comforts. He is able to make us see on two levels without appearing hokey or superficial. He doesn't wince at the supernatural, but rather takes it for its own worth.

All Cherokees--in fact all Indians--should applaud his efforts. I live a few miles from where he walked in Gravette, AR, but I will not drive that highway again without thinking about the Trail of Tears.

This book was true. Feelings occured and you felt like you where there with him walking that very trail.

I have read all three of his books. Each one opening up areas and people that are overlooked to the ordinary person. I had the opportunity of writing the to Jerry Ellis. He wrote back to me a wonderful letter which I had framed. I'm now waiting for his next book.

So is Jerry Ellis in this book, which is a first person account of his thoughts and encounters as he walks the Cherokee Trail of Tears. He blends what he sees and who he meets along the trail with ancestoral stories and beliefs in a way that educates and entertains the reader. He also manages to restore a person's faith in the kindness of Americans.

I use this book as a classroom novel in my high school nonfiction course. The issues that Jerry struggles with in his book are some of the same ones that my students face as they prepare to leave school and figure out where they belong in the world. What keeps me from giving the book a five star rating is that Jerry sometimes gives the reader an up close and personal look at his love life in a way which doesn't really add to his narrative.

Otherwise, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the cerebral slant of an excellent travelogue and who wants to know more about the spiritual traditions and history of the Cherokee.

This is a fabulous book, a must read. It is warm, entertaining, easy to read, so empathetic to it's unique characters- Jerry has a real gift of capturing the essence of those he met on the trail.
I found my copy (my first ever Jerry Ellis book) browsing at a thrift shop in NYC. It caught my eye- for several reasons. I love adventure stories, and spiritual stories- I have no Indian blood at all, I am just curious about the plight of those who came before us. Also, I have always been intrigued with taking a walking tour myself. This a way to do it without getting blisters, and when you can't possibly take the time off from work to do so! This book is filled with humanity and the lesson that "there is only one race- the human race". Now we all just have to learn that. A must read- it will give you insight into the strength and character of The Cherokee, and take you on a wonderful journey while doing so.

I read Mr.Ellis's book and it really touched me. I am not an American Indian (as far as I know) but as a Mexican-American I felt a very strong, strange and even spiritual connection with the author. Perhaps the blood of the Aztecs flows through my heart after all.

His many spiritual experiences convey a truth, to me at least, of a profound and deep connection to his ancestors and to the God of our physical universe.

The fact that he occasionally questions whether some of his spiritual experience are real or sentimentality on his part is something that I feel often. I found I was sometimes nodding in approval as he began to acknowledge some of these things.

In the end I felt a spiritual balance. It is balance that I try to maintain in my own heart. A balance between the secular world that ignores the spiritual and spiritual world that lies just around the next bend in the road.

Bravo Mr. Ellis!