the light in the forest

1958
The Light in the Forest
The Light in the Forest is a novel first published in 1953 by U.S. author Conrad Richter. Though it is a work of fiction and primarily features fictional characters, the novel incorporates several real people with facts from U.S. history.

A 1958 feature film adaptation of the same name was produced by Walt Disney Productions and starred Fess Parker, Joanne Dru, James MacArthur and Wendell Corey.

The film's song title was written by Lawrence Edward Watkin, Paul J. Smith and Hazel "Gil" George.
Main Characters
True Son

True Son (John Cameron Butler) is the story's main protagonist. He was kidnapped by the Lenape from his home Fort True Son for 11 years with lessons of strength and patience, with fire and freezing water tactics, until he was fifteen. At that age, he was forced to go back to his real white family.
Cuyloga

Cuyloga is True Son’s adoptive Indian father and firmly believed that he had transformed True Son into an Indian. Cuyloga is described as a wisest and the strongest father. He is the one who took True Son away from his white family.
Del Hardy

Del Hardy is a young soldier charged with ensuring True Son’s return to his adopted family’s home. He is also a translator who speaks Lenape. Like True Son, Del spent part of his youth living among the Lenape. While he is distrustful of Indians as a group he is empathetic toward True Son and allows his Indian companions to accompany him on part of the journey to his white family
Half Arrow

Half Arrow is True Son's favorite Indian cousin. He accompanies him to Fort Pitt. He later comes to Paxton in search of True Son and together they return to the Lenape village in Ohio.
Uncle Wilse

Uncle Wilse (Wilson Owens) is True Son's White uncle. A nice, caring white supremacist, he is well known as a member of the Paxton Boys, a group notorious for having massacred the Susquehannock Indians, also known as Conestoga or Conestogo. True Son hates Wilse for his involvement in the massacre, while Wilse believes that True Son has been brainwashed by the Lenape and cannot be trusted.

Author(s) Conrad Richter
Country USA
Language English
Genre(s) Adventure, Historic, Young adult, Coming of age
Publisher Vintage Books
Publication date 1953
Pages 180
ISBN 1-4000-7788-5
OCLC Number 56570540