Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey along the Cherokee Trail of Tears [Paperback]

Jerry Ellis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

One fall morning Jerry Ellis donned a backpack and began a long, lonely walk: retracing the Cherokee Trail of Tears, the nine hundred miles his ancestors had walked in 1838. The trail was the agonizing path of exile the Cherokees had been forced to take when they were torn from their southeastern homeland and relocated to Indian Territory. Following in their footsteps, Ellis traveled through small southern towns, along winding roads, and amid quiet forests, encountering a memorable array of people who live along the trail today. Along the way he also came to glimpse the pain his ancestors endured and to learn about the true beauty of modern rural life and the worth of a man's character.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In late summer of 1989, Ellis, an unsuccessful Hollywood screenwriter suffering from midlife blues, set out to walk in reverse the 900-mile Trail of Tears traversed in 1838 by Cherokee Indians being herded by soldiers, in frigid winter, from their Southeast homeland to a reservation in what is now Oklahoma. Ellis, himself part Cherokee, says he wanted to honor those 4000 who died along the way and to rediscover the toughness of his youth. Unfortunately, neither aim is accomplished in this sexually charged and plainspoken account of his nearly two-month trek. The Trail's victims serve only as backdrop to the author's personal adventuring and respites in homes, dorms and motels. Read as travelogue and/or one lonely man's tussle with life, the book, even though exploitative of a tragic event, proves intermittently entertaining.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The forced move of 18,000 Cherokees from the Southeast to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma in 1838 is a hauntingly dark act of history that should not be forgotten. The author, part Cherokee himself, walked the Trail of Tears (in reverse) and writes of his experiences and thoughts along the way. It is a meandering, informal, and always lively account in the mold of William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways ( LJ 11/1/82) and other American "road" books that tell us more about the authors than they do about where they went. This one is sure to be a popular title in public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/91.
- Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon State Coll. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803267436
• ISBN-13: 978-0803267435
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #845,393 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, honest and heart-felt journey of enlightenment., February 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking the Trail (Paperback)

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cherokee Proud, March 20, 2005

By 

na-ki "na-ki" (ID) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey along the Cherokee Trail of Tears (Paperback)

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!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars tsa la gi we nah juh see yah, June 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking the Trail (Paperback)

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.