About the Book
"Lessons Well Learned," is a fictional tale describing the life of George William Smith and his family. George's mother dies the night he is born which is on Halloween in 1888. He is raised by nuns at an orphanage for the first ten years of his life, but in 1898 he is adopted by an older man named Edwards, who is a self-proclaimed white supremacist. Until George is seventeen, he is taught, almost forced, to become a bigot. His adopted father insists that anyone different from him; Indians, Mexicans, Asians, homosexuals, and especially Negros, are people he should distrust and despise. In 1904, 'Pa' Edwards suddenly dies, and George is on his own for the first time in his life. Within a few years George not only learns he is part Indian, but he meets and falls in love with Tula, his teacher, who happens to also be a full-blooded Apache. Throughout his life, George continues to meet people from the groups he was taught to hate, other Indians, as well as Negros, Mexicans, and homosexuals, and all of them contradict the horrible stereotypes he was expecting to find. It is a collection of moments, some harrowing and others more emotional, that have a dramatic effect. George learns life's lesson well and becomes a man of kindness, patience, and tolerance.
About the Author :
"Lessons Well Learned," is a fictional tale of approximately 96,000 words that describes the life of George William Smith. A breakdown of the chapters is as follows. Chapters 1 through 9: The story begins in 1905, when George's adopted father suddenly dies, and George is on his own for the first time in his life. He decides to make good on a promise he made to himself, that he would join the U.S. Army, even though technically he was too young. His journey begins with a disturbing encounter with a young woman named Darla, but undeterred by the mishap, he makes his way to the Gainesville, Texas recruiting office where he meets Lieutenant Joseph Weidner. Their initial introduction is a little rocky, but eventually the two become best friends. During their initial conversation, we learn that George had been born in Nocona, Texas on Halloween in 1888, and that his mother had died the same night. We further learn that for the first ten years of his life he was raised by nuns at St. John's, a local orphanage. It is also revealed that George's adopted father, an older man named 'Pa' Edwards, was a self-proclaimed white supremacist. Until George was seventeen, he was taught, almost forced by his adopted father, to be a bigot. Edwards insisted that anyone different from them; Indians, Mexicans, Asians, homosexuals, and especially Negros, were all people who should be distrusted and despised. George and Lieutenant Weidner travel to Nocona and St. John's Orphanage where some important information about George's mother and her death is uncovered. It seems the local sheriff declared that her death was either from natural causes or perhaps suicide, but his decision not to investigate was considered by two of the local citizens to be very suspicious. They are convinced she was murdered. The Lieutenant and his young recruit continue their travels to Wichita Falls where George, while searching for his step-mother, prevents Jimmy, a young negro boy, from drowning. It is not realized at the time, but saving Jimmy's life turns out to be a very significant event for George. Chapters 10 through 19: George is now in the Army and stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. His primary job is as an Indian caretaker, protecting a tribe of Apache Indians who live on a nearby reservation. This is where he meets, falls in love, and marries Tula, herself an Apache. He also discovers he has a grandmother who is still alive. Her name is Laza and she too is a member of the local t
