Thoreau: A Sublime Life

This work gives readers a chance to meet a more complicated Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) than the usual portrayal of a pacifist sage in the woods. In his foreword, Le Roy raises these typical views of the man and then challenges his audience to examine his subject's contributions over a lifetime to get a better image. Much of the text of this picture book-sized title is drawn directly from Thoreau's writings (Walden), revealing a passionate abolitionist who may have regretted John Brown's methods but, nevertheless, spoke on his behalf. A solitary person for much of his life, Thoreau spent time in his beloved forests with Native Americans as well as in their communities. This biography demonstrates that no brief phrase was sufficient to describe the naturalist and author. Le Roy's earthy colors and Dan's rough-hewn artwork in just a few panels per page match Thoreau's natural world perfectly. The six-page afterword by Thoreau scholar Michael Granger, entitled "Thoreau, a Philosopher for Today," continues the theme of Thoreau as a complex individual.