The Yearling

If you have read my blog before, you know that I love stories, especially human stories. The novel was written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and published in 1936. A movie was made of the tale in 1946, starring Gregory Peck and Jane Wyman. Here you have the rare case of both the novel and the film being excellent.

The story is set in North Florida, shortly after the Civil War, among the dirt poor farmers who worked that land. The Baxter family has had six children born and only on a boy named Jody lived. His Mother is understandably bitter and his Father, well, he just works.

The boy adopts a stray fawn, despite his Father's warning that things will not turn out well. They don't. I will tell you no more details about this story because I really hope you will read the novel, see the movie, or both.

I will say that you will never find a better coming of age story. Jody is forced into hard decisions and learns how difficult it is to become a man. The world the Baxters live in is radically different from our world but, humans are still humans, and the lessons Jody learns are still the lessons young people  have to learn. It is hard growing up, very painful and as hard as it is for parents to watch them struggle, you have to let them go through the pain. You do them no good by shielding them.

The Yearling is a beautiful story and the novel is beautifully written. The movie is equally good and I hope you set aside a little time for this lovely old story.