The Yearling (50th Anniversary Edition) (Paperback)

~ (Author), N.C. Wyeth (Illustrator) "A COLUMN of smoke rose thin and straight from the cabin chimney..." (more)
Key Phrases: panther oil, abandoned clearing, yearling buck, Grandma Hutto, Old Julia, Baxter's Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fighting off a pack of starving wolves, wrestling alligators in the swamp, romping with bear cubs, drawing off the venom of a giant rattlesnake bite with the heart of a fresh-killed deer--it's all in a day's work for the Baxter family of the Florida scrublands. But young Jody Baxter is not content with these electrifying escapades, or even with the cozy comfort of home with Pa and Ma. He wants a pet, a friend with whom he can share his quiet cogitations and his corn pone. Jody gets his pet, a frisky fawn he calls Flag, but that's not all. With Flag comes a year of life lessons, frolicking times, and achingly hard decisions. This powerful book is as compelling now as when it was written over 60 years ago. Read simply as a naturalist study of the Florida interior, it fascinates and entices. Add the heart-stopping adventure and heart-wrenching human elements, and this is a classic well worth its Pulitzer Prize. Earthy dialect and homespun wisdom season the story, giving it a unique and unforgettable flavor, and N.C. Wyeth's warm, soft illustrations capture an era of rough subsistence and sweet survival. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description

A Pulitzer Prize-winning classic originally published over 50 years ago, Rawling's timeless story of backwoods Florida and the tender relationship of a young boy and his tame fawn continues to delight and enthrall readers.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Collier MacMillan Publishers; 50th Anniversary edition (March 30, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0020449313
• ISBN-13: 978-0020449317
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #447,409 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life in central Florida., June 25, 1999

By	R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This classic novel was written by an author who wrote it at her home a few miles south of Gainesville (in Cross Creek, Florida) and it won the 1939 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. It is about life in rural central Florida in the second half of the 19th century, being centered around a boy (Jody Baxter), his family, and his pet fawn (Flag). Throughout the novel, the reader sees a boy growing up and having to face some tough decisions. We also learn much about the natural history, environment, folk remedies and beliefs, and culture of rural Florida. We also learn how precarious one's existence is out in the wild. Jody's father, Penny Baxter, has to kill a doe in order to use a folk remedy for a snake bite, not knowing that there is a little fawn nearby. Jody keeps the fawn to raise and to have as a friend. But, as the fawn grows older, problems arise. The author based her main characters loosely (very loosely) on a rural family she knew living in central Florida. Contrary to most reports, this family did not live in Cross Creek. They had a small place deep in the woods in the center of what is now the Ocala National Forest. I decided to see if I could find that site in the late 1980s. It turned out not be difficult at all. Armed with a map of the National Forest, I went on a hike (on some beautiful trails) and found the place. Nothing remains of the house. However, the family burial plot is still there, as are the graves of most of the members of the family. Unfortunately, it is sad to report that a number of the headstones have been stolen. Some of the stones referred to Civil War veterans. As you probably know, such stones draw very good prices on the "black market." The Forest Service had signs posted to warn people against stealing items but, being deep in the woods, they were taken anyway. I'm certain that the people who took the stones have no idea of their literary significance. Perhaps one day the Forest Service or some historical organization will replace the stones, but with all the cutbacks in funding, it'll probably be a long time before that happens.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the finest novels ever written!, March 22, 2006

By	Dan T (Bainbridge, n.y. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Yearling (Hardcover)

It is not hard to see why this modern masterpiece was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1938. It was made into a classic movie starring Gregory Peck as Penny Baxter and was illustrated by the legendary N.C Wyeth. They would not have exhausted their immense talents on a mediocre book (as some of the reviews have expressed- were they reading the same book as me?).

The story is beautifully crafted and it flows effortlessly. The homespun language is quaint and is perfect for the book (which is set in the late 1800s). The author knew the intricacies of nature in Florida and described it with exactness and beauty. There are many sections of the book that are filled with warm humor and lightheartedness. The deep closeness between the father and son is touching as well as the love between the husband and wife.

Life was a tough stuggle then and it is brought out with great skill. Rawlings was a master of timing and decriptions.

(For those high school students who were forced to read the book- read it again in ten years. I felt the same way about "To Kill A Mockingbird". In high school I hated it. Later in life- I loved it. Maturity adds a lot to any book).

There is one aspect of the book that is a little hard to believe- grown men getting up in the middle of the night to play their music on guitars and so forth- stark naked- in front a of a young neighbor- but that is only thing in the entire novel.

N.C. Wyeth's illustrations are perfect for the story. His use of strong directional lighting is fabulous. I would recommend the Scribner Classic (hardcover)with his illustrations in it.

Rawlings lived in the heart of the Florida woods in the winter time and was a keen observer of nature and men. I think I learned more about hunting from this book than from any other source.

Because this book lacks sex, extreme violence, aliens or risque humor- perhaps it seems dull to some- but it is for those very reasons that I was enthralled with it. Imagine a book filled with brilliant writing, a complex plot which is weaved by a consummate artist and many secondary adventures all which fortify the plot and without one tinge of cussing!

This book deserves ten stars not five.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, buy why regarded as a "children's" book?, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This is one of the best books I've ever read; the characters are vivid, the story is engrossing, the depiction of life in a remote rural area is authentic. But even though the relationship between a young boy and his pet deer plays a primary role this book does not strike me as being a "children's" book. It is lengthy and contains adult themes more suitable for a book meant for more mature readers. Death, extreme hardship, starvation, attempted murder...this a kiddy story? I dismissed reading this book years ago because I thought, oh well, the story of a boy and his deer, ho hum, not interested. Well, this book has MUCH more depth than that. The review by younger readers who proclaim this book "boring" are not old enough to appreciate it. I would recommend this book to anyone mature enough to understands it's appeal and deeper meaning.