Author: David Maraniss
Reviewed by Chloe Fuksa, Putnam Six Bookstore
October is the perfect time to read David Maraniss’s new biography on Oklahoma legend Jim Thorpe, titled Path Lit by Lightning. Not only has the busyness of the holiday season not quite started, but the cool, crisp weather just calls for a long book to get absorbed in. Plus, with the college football season underway now, it will be even more astonishing to read not only how different the sport was in Thorpe’s time (no neutral zone, first-down punts, four-point field goals) but also how utterly dominant Thorpe was at it. Add to that the recent news that his 1912 Olympic medals have been reinstated, and the case is made, this Fall’s best read.
Author Maraniss has won two Pulitzer Prizes and been a finalist three other times, and that excellence is evident in this book too. The research alone must have taken years, and the material is so all-encompassing. He paints a remarkably complete picture of Thorpe over the years, covering the good times and the bad times both. It’s astonishing all the obstacles Thorpe had to overcome, from the assimilationist policies at Carlisle Indian School to losing his three-year-old son in the 1918 Flu Pandemic to being tagged with stereotypes his entire life. This book is undoubtedly informative, but it’s also very inspirational in how it describes that grit and perseverance that Thorpe demonstrated every step of the way.
Path Lit by Lightning is indeed quite lengthy, but every page is packed with an intriguing story or detail or quote. Most people, at least in Oklahoma, have heard the name Jim Thorpe. If you don’t know much past that, this book will be stunning. If you think you’ve heard most of Thorpe’s story already, Maraniss can help separate the reality of the man from the myth. Biographies can often be dull or stiff, but Path Lit by Lightning is certainly a touchdown, a home run, a decathlon gold medal – whichever sport of Thorpe’s you choose!
Visit us in Sunset Plaza or call 580-297-5089 to get your copy of Path Lit by Lightning today!
