Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come-Pa

By John Fox Jr.

Book Overview

When John Fox Jr. wrote The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, only thirty-five years after the Civil War, thousands of blue and gray veterans were still living in Kentucky and partisan feelings remained strong. The novel, indeed, portrays Kentucky as a state divided within itself and as the emblem of a divided nation; here is truly one of the most incisive novels of the Civil War. Chad Buford, an orphan from the Cumberland Mountains, is befriended by the aristocratic Major Calvin Buford of the Bluegrass, and begins a new life as "Chadwick Buford, Gentleman," but the Civil War intervenes, and Chad, like many other Kentuckians, faces a moral dilemma. Concluding that he is "First, last and all the time, simply American," Chad casts his lot with the Union. But The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come is more than the moving story of a Kentucky mountain boy who fights to save the Union. Even the Civil War itself is but an epic stage for the novel's main business-the testing and maturation of a hero as American as Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer. An immediate bestseller when it was published in 1903, The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come has maintained its perennial appeal through numerous editions, a successful stage adaptation, a silent movie, and a 1961 family film that stressed its Civil War love story.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813101727
• ISBN13: 9780813101729
• Release Date: January 1993
• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.4"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Beautiful, descriptive, classic...

When I was 7 years old, my Mom packed my brother and I in our station wagon and drove us from Florida to Texas to live with my grandparents. Along the way and during our stay in Texas, she read to us every night from a book that has become one of my all-time favorites -- "The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come." As a child, I recall loving the relationship between Chad, a waif of a shepherd boy, and his faithful dog, Jack. But as an adult, I have fallen in love with the rich, descriptive language with which John Fox fills every page. Each character rings true, and I have found myself anxious to see what lies around each bend in the storyline. Now, as a parent, I am reading the book to my own 8-year-old daughter. She doesn't quite grasp all of the rich prose, but she is already falling in love with Jack, and she's hoping that Chad and Melissa will one day marry. As much as I enjoyed the book as a child and as an adult, it's a privilege to introduce it to the next generation of my family. I highly recommend it as an unsung classic of the early 20th century.

Endearing novel -- must read!

My 75-year-old father remembered this book from when he was a teenager--it made an unforgetable impression! I highly recommend this novel for several reasons: lovalable and believable characters (although the lead can do no wrong to an exaggerated point), well-flowing and interesting story that you can't predict (I like suspensefulness), beautifully described setting, historically set in Civil War Kentucky. I bought a copy for myself and then bought one to share with my family and another for a friend. I will save this for my pre-school aged children to read when they are older.

Yet another Kentucky classic

There are so many great works of literature by Kentuckians, and I've read many of them, but even though my mother has had a copy of this book on her shelf my whole life, I had never read it till last week. What a mistake in waiting so long. It takes its place right up there with Still's River of Earth, Berry's Memory of Old Jack and Warren's All the King's Men as true Kentucky classics.

I want both my teenager grand children to read these books,

These are two of the best books ever written, I have been reading them over for many years and always find something new, like so many others , I cry over Chad and his dog, they should be required reading in every school.

A classic must-read for every Kentuckian!

John Fox, Jr. created in The Little Shepherd a masterpiece with which most people can identify. First is the result of choices, choosing sides in a civil war for or against your own country. The list goes on with boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-loves-dog, animal-versus-animal, brother-versus-brother (twins), and more. His descriptions of the war and Kentucky rival any anywhere. I constantly recommend it with the observation that "it is one of few books which made me cry at the ending." Why it is not required reading in Kentucky schools is beyond me!