The Bright Messenger

"The Bright Messenger" by Algernon Blackwood is a story from the early 1900s about Edward Fillery, a kind doctor and psychologist, trying to figure out who he is because of how he was born and raised. The story looks at what it means to be human, what we know, and trying to understand things more deeply, especially when it comes to LeVallon, a strange young man. LeVallon has amazing talents and a strong link to nature. The book starts with Edward Fillery thinking about how his unusual birth gives him a special way of looking at things. The first part of the story talks about how he grew up, his dad's love for a woman from another country, and how that made him a caring person. Fillery wants to unlock the potential of what humans can be. He then gets a letter about LeVallon, a young man who is very different and has a spiritual bond with nature. The letter suggests LeVallon could help understand what is beyond regular human life, so, the connection between Fillery, LeVallon, and their different pasts is the start of a journey to find out what it truly means to be human.